# Whale and Dolphin Tracker

> Education

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1336754335](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1336754335)

## Overview

- **ID:** `id1336754335`
- **Platform:** Apple
- **Type:** Apple app
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Pacific Whale Foundation
- **Category:** Education
- **Rating:** 2.50 / 5 (24 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.36
- **Last updated:** 2025-11-22
- **First published:** 2018-01-23
- **Size:** 22 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-19
- **Store listing:** [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whale-and-dolphin-tracker/id1336754335)
- **Website:** [https://www.pacificwhale.org](https://www.pacificwhale.org/)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://log.pacificwhale.org/privacy/](https://log.pacificwhale.org/privacy/)

## Description

Log sightings and identify species of commonly sighted whales and dolphins from any location around the world. Whale and Dolphin Tracker provides a platform where both professional scientists and members of the public can participate in research and conservation by contributing their marine wildlife sightings. By submitting your sightings you will add to a global database that will help researchers determine patterns of species distribution and how these species interact with their environment.
 
Features:

-Log sightings in real-time during your trip. 
-Use the built-in GPS logger to create a full GPS track of your trip. 
-Upload photos from your mobile device to submit with your sighting. 
-Maintain full access to your submitted data through your Whale and Dolphin Tracker account. 
-View global sightings submitted by all users on a live sightings map updated in real time. 
 
Contribute to research:

-Crowdsourcing allows for a larger scope of data collection than what is possible for dedicated researchers to achieve.
-Greater coverage in both time and space increases the likelihood of documenting rare and/or understudied marine wildlife.
-Citizen science creates ocean stewards and leads to a greater awareness of marine wildlife.
 
How to submit a sighting:

- Use the app to record GPS location of any sightings of whales, dolphins, and other marine wildlife.
- Help researchers account for survey effort by associating a track with each sighting. Simply start the GPS track when you depart land and stop the track upon your return. Complete GPS tracks enable calculations of sightings per distance and are valuable for research on distribution of marine animals. 
- Upload photos associated with your sightings directly from your mobile device. Photos will be used by researchers to confirm species identification and will be added to photo-identification databases, where applicable.

## Rankings

- #295,051 — Overall

## Review summary

User reviews mainly criticize the UI and reliability: confusing map, heavy data-entry for sightings, location/region issues (especially Maui), and account setup crashes. A few reviews cite Hawaii-focused usefulness and potential for citizen science, but overall maintenance and data reliability appear lacking.

### Pros

- Hawaii/Maui focus is a strength for tracking whales and dolphins (noted by reviewers 10 and 12).
- Appears useful for scientists and citizen scientists to contribute data.
- Data is accessible across devices (iPhone, iPad, and computer).

### Cons

- Poor usability: map is confusing and logging sightings is hard.
- Location and geolocation issues: app may not access location, defaults to home, and users cannot set Maui or drop a pin.
- Sightings entry requires too much information; long form makes logging in the moment tedious.
- Maui-specific data not shown / regional data missing.
- Account creation crashes and instability during setup.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1336754335)