With the free Whale Alert app, mariners and public citizens alike are provided with a user-friendly tool directly on their Apple or Android smart phone that displays whale "safety zones". The app also allows users to report live, dead, or distressed whale sightings to the appropriate response agency; thus making it an important tool for reducing vessel collisions and protecting all whale species.
Dynamic Management Areas (DMAs) use sightings of multiple whales to trigger temporary, voluntary speed restrictions or advisory notices. DMAs will appear during designated time periods. A pop-up alert providing explanatory details is displayed when entering DMAs. Voluntary Slow Zones are also displayed.
Voluntary Areas to be Avoided (ATBA) in U.S. and Canadian waters in key right whale habitats have been established for ships weighing 300 gross tons or greater.
Recommended Routes (RR) are paths produced by NOAA (and shown in the app) to help guide vessels through densely populated whale areas.
Within the app, yellow whale tails indicate that a right whale has been detected within the past 24 hrs and that NOAA recommends a speed of 10 knots or less through the area during that time period.
The ability to submit sightings gave users a direct in the conservation of these species by reporting sightings of live, dead and distressed animals.
Whale Alert 2.0 also expanded the app to the Android platform.