For millennia, gray whales have made an annual pilgrimage to the warm, protected waters of San Ignacio Lagoon. There the mother whales feel safe from predators and give birth to their calves. They also urge the newborn giants to make contact with humans. In this vast shelter, both the Mexican government and the boatmen, fishermen the rest of the year, guard the whales and nurture the friendship between people and the gentle leviathans.