An early submission for moment of the year! Yesterday on our 11am trip, Capt. Tai was observing a Gray Whale with her newborn calf from a conservative distance away, when suddenly the mother gently guided her calf right over to our completely stationary boat! She even lifted the little baby up on her back to give everyone on the boat a closer look! This is the kind of interaction that is common to observe in the Gray Whale breeding lagoons in Mexico, but is extremely rare in California waters. We are so excited with how healthy and happy the Gray Whales have been this season, and with the migration in full swing we hope to see you all on the water soon! We know close encounters like these are exciting and a dream-come-true for many, but it’s very important to give the migrating gray whales (especially ones with calves) plenty of space. We always strive to keep a comfortable distance away from the whales to make sure they are undisturbed by our presence. However, every once in awhile a whale has different ideas, and wants to show its natural curiosity towards our boat like what happened here...which is wonderful! It’s just crucial to point out that these interactions are on the whale’s terms! :) Video by Capt. Tai @taisinghee and First Mate Shannon @whalegirl_adventures #GoneWhaleWatching