VIDEO: Playful Minke Whale Caught On Video in the Santa Monica Bay

Last Thursday on Philip Friedman Outdoors Radio, rocker Ted Nugent vowed he was going to kill 20 whales this year just to bug Paul Watson from Animal Planet's Whale Wars. Not too many people took Nugent's threats seriously but there were some who were very offended.

Last May, Jeff Chi and friends were rockfishing about eight miles from Marina del Rey when a curious minke whale surfaced next to his boat the Basshole. You can see how playful this leviathan was as it kept coming back for more attention and human interaction.

Chi said it was an amazing experience and one he will never forget. He did also mention how terrible the playful whale smelled. Danny Salas from Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach says he see's it all the time. "When people meet these whales up close and personal, it changes them," he said.

Jimmy Bass from Tradition Sportfishing had a similar experience.

"We had a minke whale about 25 feet or so touch our guard rail on the boat while we were sculpin fishing off El Segundo. It was a very cool experience."

In the video, you see the whale come back to the boat time and time again, spy hopping, and looking for human contact.

Minke whales are targeted by the Japanese whaling industry. Last year, the Japanese ended their season early due in large part to Paul Watson and his constant harassment.

Nugent will be playing at the Grove of Anaheim this Thursday. One has to ask if even Terrible Ted would change his mind after seeing this gregarious whale? Probably not.