Their arrival brought onlookers to the beach and Department of Sustainability and Environment said it signalled a good start to the whale watching season.

DSE senior biodiversity officer Mandy Watson said she got reports of the southern right whales at 8.30am.

"It can be quite varied where they show up," she said.

"Last year the first sighting was at Logan's Beach in early June.

"They can show up anywhere on the coast. it can depend whether they're calving.

"There have been sightings in Lorne but I would call this the first sighting for the main part of the whale season.

"Other years they've turned up at Portland and sometimes Port Campbell."

Ms Watson said it was difficult to tell the sex of the whales but there was probably a fair bit of social interaction between the two.

"Pregnant females tend not to socialise with others," she said.

"It's exciting. I've basically been waiting for them for a month.

"They're lovely."