For over a decade, Whale Alert has been a vital tool in the fight to protect whales through citizen science and real-time data sharing.

For over ten years, Whale Alert has harnessed the power of citizen science to help protect whales from vessel strikes.

Empowering individuals to protect whales through real-time sightings and speed zone alerts.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. They are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans, and in more than 40 countries around the world. The team rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals, and restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, the IFAW match fresh thinking with bold action. They partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations, and businesses. Together, pioneering new and innovative ways to help all species flourish.

The IFAW, works to mitigate the risk of vessel strikes, a leading cause of whale mortality. Large whales face the threat of collisions with various vessel types across the world’s oceans, especially in congested waterways that overlap with key marine habitats. These collisions often result in fatal outcomes for whales and significant vessel damage.

To address this, the Whale Alert app was launched in 2012 as a citizen science tool designed to mitigate the risk of vessel strikes. Whale Alert leverages data from verified sightings, acoustic detections, and aerial surveys to create a user-friendly map based on nautical charts. This real-time information helps establish speed zones and warnings, urging vessels to slow down and reduce the risk of collisions. Now, we’re working on rolling the app out across European waters, expanding the tech and saving more lives.

Mariners, scientists, sailors, whale watchers, and beachgoers can easily report whale sightings through Whale Alert. Users can upload images, select species, and provide comments, contributing valuable data to inform protective measures. Whale Alert’s central database aids biologists and resource managers in understanding whale patterns and establishing dynamic management areas. Together, we can make a significant impact on whale conservation and ensure safer oceans for both marine life and people.