Boaters Treated to 'Kiss' From Friendly Humpback Whale Off California Coast

Lucky whale watchers had a fantastic up-close encounter with three friendly humpbacks off the coast of central California on September 5.

Footage by Evan Brodsky shows the whales approaching the boat, which was in neutral and at a standstill, with one whale giving the vessel a “kiss,” Brodsky said.

Brodsky described the encounter as “one of the best days” he’s ever had while aboard a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat, while the company called it a “very rare encounter.”

“Never try and approach whales on your boat and never try and ‘force’ an encounter like this on these animals,” they wrote in an Instagram post. “We always practice ethical whale watching and leave it up to the animals what they would like to do.” Credit: Monterey Bay Whale Watch | Evan Brodsky via Storyful

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