Exploring the new Whale Track app and website
Whale Track photo portal (middle image) with the new Whale Track app home and map display.
Just in time for Spring, as spotting conditions improve and the wildlife begins to arrive in larger numbers around local shores, we have released a new and improved Whale Track app.
Whale Track is a citizen science project developed by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to monitor whales, dolphins and porpoises, plus other species of interest such as basking shark and sun fish in Scottish waters. Anyone can participate, whether you are new to watching whales, or an expert surveyor. Whale Track allows you to easily report sightings and carry out surveys from both land and sea. And it's free to sign up.
What is new?
The app has been fully rebuilt to be compatible with the latest code so that the platform keeps running smoothly for the growing number of volunteers using it and the large amount of data that we receive from the community.
Here we explore five new features of Whale Track:
1. Survey for whales from land
Now, whenever you can carry out a period of dedicated search effort from shore, you can turn it into a Whale Track survey and collect effort data to accompany your sightings. The new Whale Track Watch function uses the same popular survey form design from the app’s current excursion mode. Location information works via your device’s GPS and can be used in remote locations without mobile signal or WIFI connection. We’ve even built in a compass to ensure the animal position data you collect during surveys from land is as accurate as possible.
2. Contribute photos via the app or new photo portal
You can now submit up to three photos to individual sightings within the app to help with data validation. A new dedicated photo portal has been added to the whale track website. Up to 100 photos can be uploaded per encounter. You can access the photo portal via your sightings records in the app and submit your photographs online to assist with community photo-identification efforts.
3. More control over your own records
The new edit functionality allows you to have more control of your records. You can view and edit all your records in the account page. Records can be filtered by survey type, species, and date. A brand-new statistics page means you can view a summary of your survey effort and sightings to help keep track of your contribution to the project and share this with others.
4. Faster map loading and more sightings to explore in app
A new base map from Mapbox now displays all sightings records, instead of the last 12 months. Record clustering has been implemented to speed up loading time, with an option to switch to view individual sightings. A new record filter design has been added to make exploring records quick and easy.
5. Improved data compatibility and app availability
We have made some small changes to our current our data fields and added a couple of new data fields to improve data compatibility and support integration with other datasets, making data sharing and collaboration more straightforward. The geospatial boundary has been removed, meaning volunteers and groups outside of HWDT’s main study area of the west coast of Scotland can make use of the new Whale Track data collection platform.
Download Whale Track from the Play or App Stores
Your sightings really do help make a difference. Download Whale Track today from the Play or App Stores to learn about the species found in Scottish waters and report your sightings and survey data to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
If you already have Whale Track downloaded and your device is set to automatically update apps, you’ll see the new version automatically when you open the app. If not, you’ll need to update Whale Track in the Play or App Store to see the changes.
Whale Track – new & improved training workshop
HWDT are holding a free training course for new and existing users on 21st April at 7pm to go through how to use the app and get the most out of the new upgraded platform. Join us to find out more about the new app and ask your questions.
Join an Easter Whale Watch event on Mull
Our team will be hosting weekly headland watch events this Easter holidays on Mull. Join us as we watch for whales from shore at Glengorm on the north coast of Mull and find out how to do your very own survey using Whale Track.
