This giant couple were snapped on Monday just metres from Forster’s Bennett Head lookout, and pockets of onlookers lined the shore for a glimpse.

Matt Coombes, operator of local whale watching cruiser the Amaroo, said it was odd to see humpbacks so close to shore in winter.

“You usually see them two or three kilometres out to sea this time of year as they migrate up the coast,” he said.

“They come in closer on the way back down with their calves, but it’s unusual to see them so close in winter.

“Maybe these two were having a rest.”

The Amaroo has spotted humpbacks eight of its last 10 voyages and, along with several reported sightings from fishermen, the contact with whales has pleased local operators.

“They’ve mainly been east of Forster so far. About 99 per cent of our sightings are humpbacks because of their migration route, but we see the odd southern right whale and minke whale. It’s regulation for June and July, but it’s been good.”

Monday’s visitors breached, spouted and turned on their sides to reveal colossal white bellies and make the crowd gasp like New Year’s Eve fireworks.

In NSW, boats can slowly approach whales to a distance of 100m, which blows out to 300m if a calf is in the group.

Swimmers can’t get within 30m, and helicopters can buzz over if they keep a 500m gap.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) campaigns manager Darren Kindleysides said the rules need to be hammered in.

“I’m not aware of any [whale watching] operators being fined recently, and they seem to stick to the regulations. But they’re only a fraction of the boats off the NSW coast,” he said.

“A lot of recreational boats and fishermen might not be aware of the rules, and the message has to be put out there. It’s to protect the whales and boats as well. A humpback is 16 metres long – it’s a lot of animal that can do a lot of damage.”

Mr Coombes said the message was sinking in for Great Lakes skippers, and couldn’t recall any recent recklessness around whales.

“Not really, people are very aware and most know the rules,” he said.

“Occasionally you’ll get a little boat going a bit too close, but not so much this time of year because the whales are further out to sea.”

Whale sightings along the NSW coast have multiplied almost 10-fold in the last decade, and the increase has been attributed to a decline in global hunting. The whale watching industry has been valued at over $300 million nationally per year.