Dulitha Sameera, of Warrnambool, spotted the pair on Friday and spent three-and-a-half hours at the whale watching platform before snapping the perfect spot.

"It was amazing," he said.

"I was able to get the side-angle photo of them swimming through the waves."

Mr Samerra said it was the first time he'd captured whales in Warrnambool after moving to the city four years ago.

He said it was an incredible sight to see the mother taking her new born for "surfing lessons".

The Department of Transport engineer said photography was a hobby he picked up some years ago, more recently moving into capturing wildlife.

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"It can be difficult," he said.

"You need to keep an eye on the ocean at all times as you have to capture the image in a split second to get the perfect shot."

Mr Sameera said the mother and calf drew large crowds of excited whale spotters about 3.30pm.

You can find more of Mr Sameera's work on his Instagram.