and curious by nature , especially the calves ,” Perry said . “ While the adults could remain submerged for half an hour , the newborn calves had to surface about every four to six minutes for air . They were rambunctious and would swim right up to us . We figured that the moms were probably exhausted and relieved that their babies had a little diversion , playing with us like tubby toys while the moms got some rest . The trick was to stay away from their tails . Easier said than done and there were a few times when getting clear was not happening . The touch of a pex fin , tail or fluke spray brought us back to the realization , that although caught up in the beauty of the whales , they are powerful .”
Perry said that at times , the sanctuary was filled with hundreds of whales . The tour operators avoided some groups of whales , which were either made up of “ rowdy males ”
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