Whirlpool by pool return -- where water *returns* to your pool doesn't indicate a leak.

Air bubbles might indicate a suction leak -- a leak in the piping or gear between the skimmer and main drain, and the pump.

Fixing leaks is often hard, when you are there, but doing it remotely is harder. Can you take pictures of your pump, filter and piping, and email them to poolforum AT gmail DOT com? (Large pictures; I'll shrink them and discard what's not pertinent.)