A North Atlantic Right Whale, critically endangered and definitely not a whale you want to hit. Photo: NOAA
You’ve probably heard that it appears whales are getting sick of getting run over by boats. Whales — orcas in particular — off the coasts of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal in the Strait of Gibraltar have been attacking vessels since 2020. It’s easy to think that they’re taking revenge for the thousands upon thousands of boat strikes that occur every year, but that’s likely not the case. A new tool launched by PredictWind DataHub, a provider of marine weather forecasting solutions, aims to help sailors avoid whales, and hopefully will cut down on the number of times whales are cut down by boat hulls and propellors.
The aptly-named Whale Watch uses the data collected from Conserve.io‘s Whale Alert database, then plots them onto a chart as little diamond-shaped icons. If you’re a sailor with PredictWind’s Whale Watch feature, you receive all the reported whale sightings within 100-mile radius of your vessel.
Your DataHub screen, should there be a whale nearby. Image: PredictWind
The information is updated hourly, and if you see a whale, you can report it through the DataHub (a little smart device managing inshore and offshore GPS, data, and communications on your vessel) so other sailors can be aware, as well.
“We are committed to providing mariners with tools that enhance navigation and safety while promoting responsible ocean stewardship,” said Jon Bilger, the PredictWind founder. “Whale Watch is a significant step in supporting efforts to protect vulnerable marine species, including the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whales.”
