IT ALL STARTED WITH A FORBIDDEN TOUCH.

Sometimes you just have to say YES even if it leaves you standing at some god forsaken airport in Mexico with a group you’re leading, hoping to All the Powers That Be that the guy you hired is actually going to show up. Rewind…

I had a serious bee in my bonnet—wouldn’t it be cool to pet a whale? It buzzed around and around. Landed on my head. Stung my forehead. Skimmed my ears. There was no getting away from it. And honestly I wasn’t so sure I wanted to get away from it. After all, a whale petting retreat would be a pretty awesome adventure! So…. I googled “petting whales.”

Up came Pachico Mayoral—the grandfather of whale petting. And so our story begins…

Pachico was a fisherman in remote Baja, doing what he and fellow fishermen had done for eons, fishing San Ignacio Lagoon. The thing about San Ignacio Lagoon is that every spring grey whales swim a mind boggling 5000 miles from the Arctic circle to give birth to their babies. 

Whales, when you’re sitting in a little wooden fishing boat, are VERY big—even their babies are VERY big. Fishermen used to be really scared of them. There was a silent truce between Whale and Fisherman—you stay over there and I’ll stay over here.

That truce worked pretty well until it came to a complete and screeching halt one winter day in 1972.

Fishing done for the day, Pachico was the last boat out on the Lagoon. As he turned to leave a full grown whale swam up next to his little wooden fishing boat. 30 tons of whale to be precise. Just to put this in perspective for you.

She circled him. Closer and closer. Swam under him; along side him and finally, settled right smack dab UNDER him.

The whale blocked Pachico at every turn.

The Lagoon was empty. The other fishermen long gone.

Pachico couldn’t leave. Every time he tried to get away, the whale would change its direction and surface next to his boat.

He was nervous. Pit in his stomach, I’m in serious danger nervous. Here was a creature twice the size of his boat, parked next to his boat. Pachico had no choice but to sit still. The whale was now in completely in charge.

There weren’t any stories in 1972 of human/whale interactions ending in anything other than death. In fact, Pachico had always been taught that whales were aggressive. But “his” whale was now coming up alongside his boat and gently rubbing herself against the side of his boat. She raised her head out of the water right by Pachico.

Was she smiling? Reaching for him? Inviting him to touch her?

Pachico realized he wasn’t actually so scared anymore. In fact what he really wanted to do was reach out and pet her. The urge was so strong. It even seemed like she was inviting him to do just that.

And so, VERY tentatively, Pachico reached out and touched her with his fingertips. She didn’t dart away. In fact, she actually moved closer to him! He reached out his hand again.. and again.

The touch was irresistible. The emotion so deep. The connection so profound.

Pachico had a new friend and he couldn’t wait to tell his fellow fishermen. He wanted to bring them all back out so they could have the same experience he’d just had. But they were less than enthusiastic. They thought he was crazy and didn’t want a thing to do with him.

And then the trail blazing adventurers from the Baja off road race came through San Ignacio. And “Oh hell YES”, they wanted to go pet the whales!

And so began whale petting in Baja.

By the time I goggled whale petting, Pachico was no longer taking people out to visit these friendly giants. His son was though and that’s who became our amazing guide for my trips.

Pancho, me and Pachico. Such a special moment. This was the evening Pachico and his wife came to surprise us for dinner. Story after delicious story about the whales.

On my first retreat to Baja, Pachico and his wife joined us for a surprise dinner at our whale camp one night. What a treat! He regaled us with story upon story of these whales. And through it all was wisdom and humility and a sense of wide open, infinite space and possibility.

He told us that it still amazed him that they, the “big ones,” who’d been so slaughtered and abused by us for so many years were the ones who were forgiving us and forging a new relationship. It’s like they’re trying to help us heal.

He told us that he was still so humbled that these giants of the oceans had chosen HIM to be the first person in Baja to experience this special relationship.

He told us that we had so much to learn from these gentle giants and all we had to do was be present and open.

You probably don’t have a grey whale swimming up next to your boat right at the moment—at least not literally. But there are always bees buzzing in your bonnet. Sometimes though you just get to points in your lives when you tune them out. Maybe you’ve been hurt one too many times and so you’ve just given up on some of those bees.

I’m glad I listened to that whale petting bee. I can’t say that I’ve always listened to the bees in my bonnet. Some of them got away. At least for a time.

There’s a funny thing about bees though, just like that whale by Pachico’s boat in 1972, they tend to come back. Again and again and again.

What bees are buzzing around your head these days? What whales are begging to be pet? Is there something you’ve been ignoring? Some dream you’ve been telling yourself won’t ever happen for you? What are you telling yourself you can’t be or do or have?

What if you reached over and pet it? Just for a moment? Even if it scares you a little. Are you game? Leave me a comment and let me know. I’d love to support you.

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