The large numbers of whales being spotted most days during the breeding season are a welcome sight after concerns the majestic marine creatures may be deterred after noisy construction work on the Granite Island jetty last year.

“Buttons has been here since June 11 this year and she has the record for being the longest resident here previously at 126 days,” local resident Elizabeth Steele-Collins said.

Buttons last visited Encounter Bay in 2017, and before that  in 2013, with the average calving interval for Southern Right Whales being three to five years.

Steele-Collins, spokesperson for Encounter Whales conservation group and a founding member of the Encounter Bay Right Whale Study that has been recording sightings since 2013, said there were three returning mothers including Zelda with her new calf and another whale affectionally known as Nettie.

She is one of a large team of citizen scientists involved with the research program.

Southern Right Whales are listed as endangered under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act. Some humpback whales also have been seen off the South Australian coast as they travel along their migration route.

Steele-Colins warned there could still be an impact on Southern Right Whales returning during future breeding seasons at Encounter Bay between May until October from the Granite Island works as fewer were seen in the region last year.

“We think there were whales that were put off, we know some left the area including mums and newborns … we are not going to know until we see if returning mothers come back,” she said.

“We were quite excited to see Buttons come back, we were hoping she would come last year and when she was the first one to rock up this year, and Buttons is a very special whale, the whole town was excited.”

Whales are identified by the distinctive bright white patches called callosities on their heads that are unique to every individual.

Encounter Bay is a recognised whale calving nursery and whales are often sighted at Middleton or Port Elliot.

A one-year-old whale dubbed Selina has been travelling further afield with Steele-Collins saying she was seen in Victoria this year, Encounter Bay and St Vincent Gulf and then back to Encounter Bay.

She also made the news after the whale approached a husband and wife in an inflatable dinghy at Henley beach.

Other nurseries in South Australia for the Southern Right Whale include the Head of Bight, Fowlers Bay and a smaller site at Sleaford Bay near Port Lincoln.

“Last I heard there were something like 96 whales at Head of Bight  this week which included 46 mums with calves,” Steele-Collins said.

The State Government has committed to supporting World Heritage status for the Great Australian Bight and to explore establishing Whale Nursery Protection Areas where the marine creatures come close to the shore with their young.