So that we can ask you the right questions.
What would you like to report?
Help & tips for submitting a useful report
Why is your report important?
Every report helps scientists to understand migration routes, monitor populations and develop conservation measures. Your sightings contribute directly to species conservation!
Step 1: Position & time
- GPS coordinates: Most valuable for research
- Body of water: If no GPS data is available
- Exact time: Helps with behavioural analysis
- Tip: Screenshots of navigation apps are useful
Step 2: Animal details
- Species: If unsure, choose “Unknown whale species” or “Unknown seal species”
- Count: Estimates are valuable too
- Young animals: Important for population studies
- Distance: Helps in assessing the observation
Step 3: Additional information
- Behaviour: Feeding, resting, jumping, etc.
- Environment: Sea state and visibility affect sightings
- Photos/Videos: Extremely helpful for identifying species
- Tip: Even blurry pictures can be useful
Step 4: Contact details
- Email: For confirmation and enquiries
- Boat information: Helps with disturbance analysis
- Data protection: Only sighting data is made public
- Optional: Name visible only with your consent
Your data makes all the difference
Dead animal finds – particularly important!
Dead animals provide important insights into causes of death and the health of the population. Please do not touch! Please also report the find to the local authorities (water police, national park office).
What the data is used for
Your report is scientifically evaluated by the German Oceanographic Museum and passed on directly to the international bodies for the protection of Baltic Sea harbour porpoises: to HELCOM , the Helsinki Commission for the protection of the Baltic Sea, and to ASCOBANS , the international agreement for the conservation of small cetaceans. Your observation helps build the picture of the animals' distribution and occurrence.