Thomas Peschak's Image

A curious young grey whale speckled with barnacles and scarred from scooping prey off the seabed approaches a pair of hands reaching down. In San Ignacio Lagoon, grey whales actively seek contact with people to get a head scratch. For Thomas, photographing a whale that sought out human contact was a first.

Grey whales once shared this breeding ground with fishing boats. The whales were aggressive towards the boats, perhaps because they associated them with the whaling that nearly saw them extinct. Since the bay received conservation protection, interactions have been friendlier. The population is recovering and responsible whale-watching is a booming industry.