Like many of the relatively slow-moving great whales, including humpbacks and right whales, grey whales – which can grow up to 15 metres (50ft) in length – are particularly susceptible to parasites.
The same individual whale has returned repeatedly for more “grooming”, according to Franco.
“Once I removed the first one, she approached again so that I could continue,” he said. A grey whale approaches a whale-watching boat and has lice picked off – videoįranco picked a louse off the head of the whale the first time it came close enough for him to do so.
