Tourists get a kiss, and a soaking, from a friendly whale in Mexico

A group of tourists in Mexico have had the ultimate up-close experience with a whale.

Alex Banky was on a boat tour of Magdalena Bay, which is a sheltered lagoon located in the central part of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, when a curious 45 tonne whale breached near his vessel.

The grey whale appeared next to Banky's tour boat and the 36-year-old grabbed his opportunity to get a quick kiss in.

The whale moved down the boat where another tourist took his chance to rub his head on the giant mammal before planting a quick kiss too. He managed to get a soaking for his efforts before the whale moved off.

Banky told the MailOnline that it was an "amazing experience".

"I was vibrating, after the several close encounters we experienced. It was a magical, humbling, one-of-a-kind experience," said Banky.

"I've seen whales before, but from a distance. I've had some closer calls with breaching humpbacks off the coast of India, but nothing like this"

The video has been viewed more than 248,000 times online.

Grey whales are spotted along this part of Mexico and in great numbers off the western coast of the US. Look out for them in sheltered lagoons such as California's Monterey Bay or Pismo Beach, where they often feed to escape the attention of killer whales during breeding season.

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