While we are chasing whales around the ocean and after we have retrieved the darts back from two of the friendly whales, one of the other whales breaks away from the group and starts towards us. We begin to panic as he draws too close. Derek stops the motor in our Zodiac. We two Earthwatchers move to the edge of the boat to get a good look at our arriving guest, and when he comes alongside of us, he raises up his head so we can see his eye and he can see us. We both freeze.
Our leader, Peter, calls to us to tell us not to be afraid because all he wants I is to have his head scratched. His head is encrusted with stuff that looks like barnacles but isn’t. Whatever the stuff is, must itch him alot. So Ian and I each take one hand and reach out to him and carefully start to scratch. The whale doesn’t move. I am having some sort of epiphany, as I, 140 pounds of human flesh, continue to scratch a 12 tons of whale skin and he still doesn’t move. Ian and I keep at it until we are all “scratched out” and retire to the far side of the boat. The whale waits to see if we will return. When we don't, he swims away.
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