Video shows the giant marine creature approaching the boat and ‘asking’ the captain for help to remove parasites from its skin.
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The footage of a grey whale gently approaching the boat and indicating that it needed help with the lice has touched many internet users. However, the friendship between this sea giant and the boat captain actually goes way back.
Paco Jiménez Franco is an experienced sailor who has been navigating the waters of the Ojo de Liebre lagoon in Mexico for 20 years, where he regularly encounters magnificent whales. For him, every sighting is like a special gift, as not everyone will have the luck to see these giants rise from the deep waters.
During one of these encounters, Franco noticed that some of the whales had lice, which are small parasitic crustaceans that attach to the skin of the large mammal and feed on its blood, likely causing a lot of discomfort.
One day, when one of these animals came very close to Franco’s boat, he removed some of the ‘lice’ by hand. The whale seemed to feel relieved and came back for him to continue removing the parasites bothering it.
It seems the whale told its friends about its new friend, and the captain now has a loyal clientele who trusts him to relieve the discomfort these parasites cause. “I’ve done this many times with the same whale and others,” Franco told the site The Dodo. “It’s very emotional for me,” he assured.
Images: Facebook @JeromeEvangelio. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
