The whales popped up unexpectedly. Some of the time, our panga had a few whales to ourselves, other times, they were comfortable hanging around and entertaining a whole fleet of whalewatchers. Our guide theorizes that the 225 hp Honda 4-stroke and blue-painted bottom are more attractive to the whales than most pangas. We certainly seemed to get more close visits than the other boats. When they came within arm's reach, it was pretty clear that they were inviting touches.