A whale was spotted off Samurai Beach in Port Stephens on Friday, May 4 heralding the beginning of the annual migration of 30,000 whales off the east coast.

After 23 years of whale watching, Frank Future still gets a buzz when he sees the first humpback of the season.

“I know it’s a bit quaint but we all get a buzz … they are huge animals – they’re bigger than elephants,” the Imagine Cruises skipper said.

The whale, spotted about midday on Friday, was travelling solo, which Mr Future said was not uncommon for juveniles.

“He wasn’t doing too much,” Mr Future said. “Just swimming and actually spending quite a bit of time down there exploring.

“It’s only a matter of weeks now before the main run of adults starts.”

Port Stephens resident Leanne Maffesoni‎ also captured an image of a Humpback whale on Friday morning. The whale was seen at Boat Harbour. She believed it was the same whale spotted later at Samurai Beach.

Mr Future said the humpback whale population had increased from about 1800 during the northern migration in the 1990s to more than 30,000 now.

He warned water users to be wary of the 100 metre exclusion zone around the whales, for everyone’s safety.

“They’re quite friendly around boats and they’re quite likely to come and have a look,” he said. “It’s best to stop and let the whales themselves find their way around you.”

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