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WhaleWatch

Whale sightings, shared by the people who see them

WhaleWatch is a free community whale-sighting app. It grew from Wild About Whales, the app we created for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Mobiddiction now runs it as a community service.

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A humpback whale breaching clear of the water off Tweed Heads
A humpback whale throwing its tail out of the water off Tweed Heads

From Wild About Whales

A government app that became a community one

We delivered Wild About Whales for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. For most of a decade it supported the annual whale census and gave the public a dependable way to report sightings along the NSW coast.

When the service retired the app in 2021, we relaunched the program independently, with its permission, as WhaleWatch. We added optional registration, a public sightings gallery and notifications, and opened it to whale watchers everywhere, not only in Australia.

WhaleWatch app screens on three phones, over a photo of a whale’s back breaking the surface
Sightings

Post a sighting, and see everyone else’s

Choose the species, behaviour and location and share it. Every sighting posted from the app appears on the map, so others can see where whales are moving and plan a trip.

The WhaleWatch species screen listing the sperm whale and humpback whale with illustrations
Species

Know which whale you are looking at

Information and facts on the whale species people are likely to see, from humpbacks to sperm whales, with a photo gallery shared by the community.

The WhaleWatch tips and info screen with articles on the best countries and times to go whale watching
Tips

When, where and how to watch

Tips on the best times and places to go whale watching in Australia and around the world, with a reminder to follow the guidance of tour operators, volunteers and conservation groups who keep whales safe.

See It in Action

WhaleWatch on the water

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Partner With Us

Tour operator, photographer or whale specialist?

WhaleWatch is a free initiative and we are always looking for partners. Tell us how you would like to help, or about the community program you have in mind.