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Portland fishing enthusiast and photographer Bob McPherson said two southern right whales were sighted near Portland harbour yesterday and were heading east towards Warrnambool.
He said another southern right whale was sighted near Portland late last month.
Mr McPherson said there were also humpback whales off Portland yesterday, including a cow with a calf.
Warrnambool whale watcher Peter Read said three southern right whales and a few humpbacks had been sighted near Warrnambool so far this whale season with the most recent a southern right whale that was “lob tailing” off Middle Island on Saturday morning.
A southern right whale was sighted off the whale nursery at Logans Beach more than two weeks ago but the whale season proper did not start until there was a cow and calf in residence, he said.
Mr Read said there were plenty of visitors to the Logans Beach viewing area during the long weekend but no whales to be seen.
The south-west whale season usually starts from late May or June, with cows calving in June and July.
Mr Read said good weather during the long weekend had attracted a big fleet of recreational anglers off Warrnambool with at least one boat straying into the Logans Beach exclusion zone set up to limit disturbances to whales and their calves.
The exclusion zone is in force from June 1 until October 31 and applies to all vessels.