Massive whales once known as 'devil fish' for the way they attacked whalers have become so friendly they now rest their chins on boats - and demand to be tickled.
The 45-feet-long adult grey whales encourage their young calves to approach boats and have their backs and tongues scratched in their breeding lagoons.
They have been described by experts as the 'frendliest whales in the world'.
If their petting demands go unnoticed they swim to tourists on others boats in the hope of getting more attention.
The playful whales even swim under boats and lift them out of the water, both thrilling and scaring the tourists at the same time.
Local fishermen who lead the boat tours in San Ignacio, Mexico, have become so used to living with the whales they now refer to them as 'friendlies'.
Zoologist and television presenter Mark Carwardine, 51, photographed the whales while on a trip to the Central American country.
He has visited for the last 20 years.
Mark said: "Seventy years ago these whales were being viciously hunted and they fought back aggressively.
"They would smash boats with their tails and leap on them, so they became known locally as devil fish.
"Since the late 1930s, however, the grey whale has been protected and they have gone from being in danger of extinction, with 100 or 200 left, to almost 26,000.
"They know the local fishermen are no longer a threat and have become the friendliest whales in the world.
"They come up to these small fibreglass boats, which are a few metres long, and place their chins on the side to be scratched and tickled.
"They also encourage their calves to do the same. It is very much like a dog sitting at your feet near the fire."
He added: "I would never normally agree with touching wildlife but these whales demand to be touched - they really enjoy it and come to you.
"If you don't touch them they swim off to another boat to find attention there.
"The whales dwarf the boats and could knock you into the water in seconds if they wanted to but they are not aggressive.
"They swim under the boat and sometimes lift you a little bit out of the water, which can be quite unnerving if you've never experienced it before.
"There are a few theories as to why they come up to the boats but I think it is just because they are so inquisitive.
"The calves spend several months in the lagoon building up their strength before their 20,000 kilometre round-trip to the arctic and probably get bored.
"The tourists are their entertainment."
Mark has led wildlife trips around the world for 25 years but has never seen a creature have such an impact on those that travel with him.
He said: "People are in tears and feel overwhelmed by the experience."
The whales arrive in the lagoons in late December or early January leave around May, when they head back up to the Arctic to feed.
They make the migration, which is a 20,000 kilometre round-trip, every year.
The calves are weaned on the Arctic feeding grounds and are left to make their own way back to the breeding lagoons the following year.
The calves also swim against the strong currents of the lagoons, in what Mark describes as a "whale gym".
They do not travel anywhere but fighting against the water builds their strength.
Further down Baja California peninsula, Mexico, curious humpback whales approach boats and spend hours alongside gazing up at whale-watchers.
They roll around on the surface with their massive flippers reaching out of the water.
Mark has also photographed the world's largest creature, the blue whale, coming within a few metres of his boat.
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