Privacy Policy, Terms, and Conditions: WhaleReport

By downloading the Whale Report Alert System, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions. Please read these conditions of use carefully before using the Whale Report Alert System.

Accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of information

Ocean Wise Conservation Association will not be held responsible if alerts generated by the Whale Report Alert System are not accurate, complete, or current. The alerts generated by the Whale Report Alert System are based on opportunistic observations by the public. The absence of an alert in an area does not mean that whales are absent. As such, alerts should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions and the user is responsible for maintaining vigilance at all times on the water. Any reliance on the Whale Report Alert System is at the risk of the user.

Personal Information

Your submission of personal information through the Whale Report Alert System is governed by our Privacy Policy. To view our Privacy Policy, go to https://ocean.org/privacy-policy/.

Location Data

In order for the Whale Report Alert System to send users alerts of whales in their vicinity, the app tracks mobile users’ locations when the logged in to the app and tracking is activated. These user location data may be used for internal research purposes to understand the efficacy of the Whale Report Alert System but are anonymized to ensure user privacy. Users should always start and stop tracking at the beginning and end of each trip to ensure location data are not being collected outside of the user’s need for the Whale Report Alert System during marine operations. Logging out of the app can be done from the main menu at the top left of the screen.

Intentions of Use

The Whale Report Alert System is intended for the use of commercial mariners. Permission for other uses will be made on a case-by-case basis. Other potential users of the Whale Report Alert System
may include:

• Environmental consultants acting as Marine Mammal Observers for development, construction, or other projects in which physical or acoustic disturbance of cetaceans is a possibility.
• Personnel involved in response and clean-up of marine environmental incidents and spills.
• Military personnel involved in planning and executing operations and test exercises.
• Other marine mammal research or incident response.

The Whale Report Alert System and associated alerts should not be made available to the public and should only be used for the purposes of avoiding cetaceans to reduce potential physical or acoustic disturbance on these animals. Misuse of the Whale Report Alert System, including but not limited to forwarding personal passwords, using the system to target cetaceans for viewing, or publicizing or otherwise sharing reported whale locations with unauthorized individuals or organizations, will result in termination of access.