New and improved Whale Insight app offers additional features

This past June, Fisheries and Oceans Canada launched a new and improved version of the Whale Insight application, an interactive visualization tool that tracks North Atlantic right whale detections in eastern Canadian waters.

Introduced in May 2022, Whale Insight brings together visual and acoustic whale detections shared by researchers, partners, and local communities to support the protection of North Atlantic right whales across the region.

In its latest version, the application includes new features such as enhanced mobile access, refreshed mapping tools, and a new dashboard highlighting fishing prohibitions. These improvements support more dynamic and informed conservation planning.

Key upgrades include:

• Mobile access to the Advanced Map
• New “FishPro” dashboard for fishing prohibitions to protect North Atlantic right whales
• Interactive tools to calculate distances and count whale detections
• New Viking Buoy “heartbeat” histogram showing buoy communication status
• Improved performance and screen reader compatibility

Recognized as an ADaPTER (Acoustic Detection & Protection Technologies for Endangered Right Whales) under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and featured in An Ocean Life, a publication launched at COP16, Whale Insight is helping reshape conservation efforts through transparency, real-time data sharing, and cross-sector collaboration.