Blue Whales (Whale Watch Data)

This layer group shows WhaleWatch density predictions for Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus) from January to May 2017.


WhaleWatch is a NASA-funded project coordinated by NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region to help reduce human impacts on whales by providing near real-time information on where they occur and hence where whales may be most at risk from threats, such as ship strikes, entanglements and loud underwater sounds. These model estimates were developed from habitat-based models of whale occurrence that combine satellite tracking of whales with information on the environment.

WhaleWatch is an automated tool that uses advanced technologies to predict where blue whales are likely to be in near real-time. Whales were tagged with Argos satellite transmitters and tracked as they moved from the eastern central Pacific breeding grounds to their feeding grounds off the U.S. West Coast. The whale locations were combined with environmental data collected via satellites, including water temperature, chlorophyll concentrations, and other ocean features. The relationship between whales and the environment was then used to predict the chance of blue whale occurrence and likely densities across the modeled areas. This is calculated based on current ocean conditions to provide the near real-time maps.