Petting a gray whale
Woah, isnât this like SUPER illegal???
In most countries, yes. I have no idea how international maritime law works in this instance but Iâm always surprised when people post videos like this online âcause you can definitely be prosecuted most places for harassment of wild marine mammals.
Iâm not exactly sure whatâs going on but I see another whale behind it and grey whales ainât exactly tiny so like⌠They want skritches. Idk where they are but if a whale the size of a small island comes up and asks for skritches, I feel like you probably should obey.
While I definitely agree that whales are clever and personable enough to approach humans for attention, in the USA, there are pretty strict laws with steep penalties (up to 1 year in prison or a $10,000 fine) if you get caught doing any action which causes marine mammals to alter their natural behaviors, such as pursuing, touching, and feeding them. NOAA recommends keeping a distance of at least 100 yards from large whales, and whale watching boats have specific guidelines for how to observe themâif they approach your boat, you must carefully back away.
