The first whales of the 2011 season were spotted off of Devonshire Bay on New Year's Day.Documentary filmmaker Andrew Stevenson spotted the whales after friends tipped him off about their whereabouts.Whale watching season in Bermuda is usually March and April.Mr Stevenson, who heads the Humpback Whale Research Project, said: “I found the whales pretty quickly, some miles off Devonshire Bay but the air was so clear and the slanted sunlight lit up their blows against the blue of the ocean.“These were two whales that blew at the same time and they remained together, more like a female and escort. I also saw what looked like a very small calf's blow which appeared more frequently than the two bigger blows.“I would have guessed that these were not the same whales we followed along South Shore for some hours December 31.“If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say these were a female with a calf and perhaps a male escort. If this is the case, it is further indication that the humpbacks are re-colonising Bermuda as a breeding ground. If so, then Bermuda must be one of the only places in the world where the humpbacks feed, give birth, and migrate past.”Mr Stevenson has spent the past four years collecting visual and acoustics data on the whales as they swim past Bermuda as part of his project. The information was used to make a documentary, “Where the Whales Sing”.Last year he started phase two which will continue with the data collection, but also add an educational outreach part.Mr Stevenson hopes that members of the public will help him with his research by phoning 777 7688 (77-SPOUT) or e-mailing spout[AT]logic.bm when they spot a whale.