Family of whales photobomb shot of Newcastle's iconic ocean baths

Novocastrian Jessica Blacklow was taking her drone for a spin on the city's coastline when she snapped more than she bargained for at the baths.

"I went to take some photos of just the baths and then I saw them," she said.

"There's a bit of a highway at the moment for whales, but it was like, 'Wow', it's nice to get a shot with something familiar where you can see exactly where it is and how close it is.

"There's nothing like a marine animal photo to set the 'gram [Instagram] on fire."

More than 40,000 whales have started their epic journey north to warmer waters between May and November.

Humpback whales start the long journey from southern ocean waters all the way down to the south polar ice shelf, where they feed on krill during the warmer months.

Now, they're headed north to their east coast breeding ground in the warm, tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Ms Blacklow has had an impressive response to the photo online, drawing loads of likes and numerous comments from locals since she shared it on Thursday.

"In the photo you can see that there's a lot of people who are looking, and I've had a lot of people comment on the post saying, 'Oh, that's me watching' and that's really nice," she said.

"People like to see themselves and to see something that special.

"I love taking coastal photos, I take a lot in Newcastle and I love the Newcastle Ocean Baths."

To see more of Ms Blacklow's photos visit her Instagram page @wiltliving.