Pod of humpback whales spotted off Port Fairy, Warrnambool coasts

Salty Dog Charters owner Dan Hoey said he saw a group of five when he was about 15 to 20 kilometres out of Port Fairy about 3pm.

There were earlier sights of humpback whales from the Warrnambool breakwater on Tuesday morning.

Mr Hoey said he often saw humpback whales while on charter.

He said they were majestic creatures.

"I see a lot of humpbacks and blue whales," Mr Hoey said.

"They're brilliant - they're not shy.

"They're very inquisitive creatures and they sometimes come right up to the boat."

Mr Hoey said he only occasionally spotted Southern Right Whales.

The Standard reported in late May the Southern Right Whales were set to arrive in the city within weeks.

DEECA Barwon South West regional director Colleen White said the city held unique value for the marine mammals.

"Logans Beach is the only established nursery in south-east Australia where female Southern Right Whales regularly return to nurse and feed their calves," she said.

"It is essential we abide by the exclusion zones and give them space.

"The latest records show endangered Southern Right Whales are nursing their calves in new areas along Victoria's coastline. While this is encouraging, boaters need to be alerted to encountering the whale in unexpected locations.

"WhaleFace is an excellent example of citizen science. We encourage everyone in the community to use it to submit any sightings or photos of these incredible marine mammals."

The exclusion zone at Logans Beach stretches from Gaul's Cave to Point Ritchie and came into effect on June 1, remaining until October 31.