A pod of whales, believed to be humpbacks, has been putting on a show off the coast of Sydney this afternoon.

About 20 whales have been playing around off the coast of Bondi, in Sydney's east.

Humpbacks migrate north from Antarctica to warmer Australian waters during the winter months before heading south again during the spring.

Thousands of whales pass by Sydney Harbour every year on their way to give birth and mate in the waters off Queensland.

Humpbacks are baleen whales, possessing plates of hair-like structures used to sieve prey from water taken into the mouth.

They feed on krill and small schooling fish and can grow to a length of about 16m and weigh up to 40-45 tonnes.