Whale Report helps us all stay connected and involved with community-based science. It also helps to protect the whales in our waters by privately alerting large commercial vessels of whales in their vicinity through the Whale Report Alert System, enabling them to take mitigation measures to reduce the risk of strike and disturbance.
If you see a cetacean or sea turtle in the water, use the Whale Report App to report what you see. Once submitted, your sightings will appear on your personalized map in the ‘Map’ tab. Your report will be reviewed by our team, and you may be contacted with follow-up questions. We appreciate your contribution as it makes a big difference!
Use the Whale Report app to:
• Report sightings quickly and easily, even when out of mobile reception range
• View recent sightings in your area (24-hour delay)
• View your impact by seeing which sightings have generated real-time alerts
• View the Marine Mammal guidelines for responsible marine wildlife viewing
• Learn more about common cetacean species sighted in the Whale Report app
• Learn how to report a dead or distressed marine animal in your region
For Mariners:
• Access to the Whale Report Alert System now in Whale Report allows you to report sightings and receive real-time alerts of whale presence in one space. Note that access is not granted to ecotourism operators or recreational boaters.
About Our Work:
The Ocean Wise Sightings Network (OWSN) is one of the longest-standing and most successful citizen science programs in Canada, as the OWSN has gathered whale sighting reports from volunteer observers for over 22 years. Community members are encouraged to contribute to our conservation efforts and report their sightings. Individual sighting reports from Whale Report are relayed in real-time to the Ocean Wise Whale Report Alert System (WRAS), a tool developed for large commercial vessels (e.g. ferries, tugs, and freighters) to alert them of the presence of whales. Learn more about cetaceans and sea turtle conservation at ocean.org/whales.
How Sightings are Used:
People in coastal areas can use Whale Report to report sightings of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sea turtles. These reports contribute to conservation in two vital ways:
1. Real-Time Alerts to Large Commercial Vessels: Sightings submitted in real time are transmitted to authorized commercial ships, prompting them to slow down or alter course—reducing the risk of striking or disturbing marine life.
2. Conservation Research: Each sighting is reviewed and added to a research database, helping scientists monitor species occurrence and distribution over time. This information helps to inform conservation efforts such as species recovery strategies, academic research, environmental assessments, and government processes.
Whale Report is made possible through funding and support from the Government of Canada, Quiet Sound, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Victoria Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, DP World and the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
Ocean Wise thanks its data providers, including: Ocean Wise Sightings Network observers, Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sightings Network, Orca Network via Conserve.io, Acartia Data Cooperative, Beam Reach, JASCO Applied Sciences, SMRU Consulting, and WhaleSpotter.
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