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REPORT

SIGHTINGS

PodWatch is an easy way to report sightings of dolphins and large whales and contribute to creating positive impacts for cetaceans during this time of rapid environmental change. PodWatch is the only long-term, independent and secure portal where citizen scientists can be confident that their data is used to provide up-to-date and publicly available understandings about cetaceans, aiding educational, government, private enterprise and wildlife managers in making informed decisions

Reports of large whales are entered into the respected Two Bays Whale Project database, and our researchers validate every report to ensure the integrity of every sighting. All data held within the Two Bays Whale Project database are publicly available in the form of annual reports and data analysis on our website.

See below for more frequently asked questions.

Frequently asked questions

Why report my sightings to PodWatch?

PodWatch submissions are added to our long-term dolphin and large whale monitoring programs. The Dolphin Research Insitute currently hosts the only large whale monitoring program in Victoria – the Two Bays Whale Project.

The PodWatch program aims to provide accurate and up to date information on the presence and absence of dolphins and large whales along the Victorian coast, with a strong focus on Port Phillip, Western Port and northern and eastern Bass Strait. Without contributions to this program, many pieces of information are not collected and therefore not considered in important decision making for the conservation and management of dolphins and large whale species.

How is my PodWatch data used?

Your contributions are placed through a robust quality assurance process to ensure the information retained in our database is reliable and of the highest quality. This information is then used in several ways such as, providing important information to wildlife management agencies, social media notifications, populating annual reports and mapping sighting locations.

Who has access to PodWatch data?

All submissions to PodWatch appear as data in annual reports which are available to anyone from school students to stakeholders to government, other scientists and even corporate organisations. What isn’t available publicly is the fine-scale detail in the data (including your personal information), this remains the intellectual property of the contributor and is accessible only by formal request to that contributor.

What about my privacy?

Your privacy is of the utmost importance to the Dolphin Research Institute and we are committed to respecting the right to the privacy of all individuals and organisations. We ensure that we comply with the Australian Federal Privacy Act. See our Privacy Policy here: https://www.dolphinresearch.org.au/privacy-policy/

I have another question about PodWatch?

If you have more questions about PodWatch, how this data is used or your privacy, please get in contact with us here.