Wildlife scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta says citizen science, along with systematic studies conducted by professionals, can provide valuable insights into whale populations.
"East Coast population of humpback whales, there is over 35,000," Dr Pirotta told Sky News Australia.
"In terms of the exact number of how many whales there are, I don't think anyone in the world or at least in this population would be able to tell you how many there are because whales they're very big.
"They're the biggest animals on earth and tend to move around a lot."