Whale Alert
March 06, 2020
Whale Alert is a free iPhone/iPad application to share real-time whale sightings. Note that this version in Alaska is currently only being used for professional mariners.
Let us know when you see whales
The free Whale Alert app, provides mariners and members of the public a user-friendly tool directly on their iPad or iPhone that displays whale "safety zones". Through the app, users can report any live, dead, or distressed whale sightings to the appropriate response agency, helping to reduce whale ship strikes. Whale biologists and resource managers can automatically share whale sightings, helping them to better understand whale feeding and migration patterns. Everyone is welcome to report sightings.
View Sightings Online in Alaska
In Alaska, cruise ships and state ferries can set up a Maplify account to view whale sightings online via Whale Alert. To obtain access, go to the Maplify website and sign up to set up an account.
Once an account is approved by a Maplify administrator, logged-in users can view recent whale sightings along their vessel's route on any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. Users can select which areas (green boxes in image to right) to get notifications about.
View Right Whale Management Areas
On the East coast, mariners can view management areas for the endangered North Atlantic right whale including Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs) and Dynamic Management Areas (DMAs). Sightings reported via the app are automatically reported to the NOAA Right Whale Sighting Advisory System hotline where they can be viewed online via NOAA's Interactive Right Whale Sightings Google map.
View Sightings Online in California
Explore the San Francisco Region land based observations collected by Point Blue Conservation Science daily from the Farallon Islands and boat based observations collected by trained naturalists during whale watching trips. Explore boat based observations in the Channel Islands Region collected by trained naturalists that volunteer for the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps. To sign up and receive email updates when new data is collected and available in the mapping tool, follow this link to the Whale ALERT - West Coast list.
Download the App
Resources
- Five things you can do to reduce the risk of a whale strike (PDF, 2 pages)
- Whale Alert App Flyer (PDF, 2 pages)
- Whale, dolphin & porpoise identification guide
Contact Information
- Carley Lowe (Alaska)
- Christin Khan (East Coast)
- David Wiley (East Coast)
- Jessica Morten (West Coast)