As one of the longest-standing and most successful citizen science programs in Canada, the BC Cetacean Sightings Network (BCCSN) has gathered cetacean (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) sighting reports from volunteer observers of diverse backgrounds for over 22 years. In 2023, recognizing our expansion to new geographies, we changed the name of the program to the Ocean Wise Sightings Network (OWSN). We continue our work in BC, but also across Canada and around the globe.

The beauty of the Ocean Wise Sightings Network is that by employing a variety of outreach events, community members are encouraged to contribute to our conservation efforts and report their sightings. This data plays an integral role in various conservation projects concerning cetacean health and monitoring, and can be useful in identifying critical habitat, developing species-specific recovery strategies, and implementing regulations related to cetaceans and harmful human activities.

Individual sighting reports are also relayed in real-time to Ocean Wise’s WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS), a tool developed for ship captains of large commercial vessels (e.g., ferries, tugs, and freighters) to alert them of the presence of whales within 10 nautical miles of their location. The WRAS functions to provide advance warning to mariners to reduce their impacts on nearby cetaceans by slowing down, re-routing, or halting their vessel.