It is relatively uncommon for whales to come into the bay this early in the season.

The humpback was spotted near a pod of dolphins and a seal.

“It’s a surprise,” Jervis Bay Wild spokeswoman Elizabeth Abood said.

“It’s a juvenile, we think it’s just resting here.

“Whales have already started their northern migration, but they’ve gone super wide, all we’ve seen [until now] is a splash.

“They come in closer to Jervis Bay at the end of May, beginning of June.”

An early start to the whale season would be ideal for tourism operators that depend on marine wildlife sightings.

“We’re hoping it’s a good sign of things to come,” Mrs Abood said.