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Position & Time

Where and when did the sighting take place? The more precise, the more valuable for research.

Position details

Where did you see the animal?

Retrieves your device’s location — useful if you’re reporting the sighting directly from the scene.

or
Loading map …
No location has been selected yet. Tap the map to mark the spot where you saw the animal.

Please enter the GPS coordinates if they could not be taken from the map automatically.

Extract GPS position and time from an image

If your photo contains GPS data, we take the position, date and time from it. The image is only used here to determine the position — you can upload further photos and videos in step 2.

What happens to your recording

Your recording is transferred to us as soon as you drop it, and serves the technical review of your report. If you do not submit the report, we delete the recording automatically after 24 hours. You decide separately, later, whether it is published.

Kein GPS? Beschreiben Sie den Ort

Not every sighting can be pinpointed exactly. Even a description of the sea area, a distinctive landmark nearby or an approximate location are valuable to researchers.

Body of water, fairway or nearby landmarks

Date and time

On which day did the sighting take place?
At what time, roughly? (optional)

You are reporting: Observation of a live animal

Reset form

Are you sure you want to reset the form? All data entered so far will be lost.

The draft saved on this device will be deleted as well. This cannot be undone.

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!

approved sightings
of reports include additional details

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

Years with approved sightings
many observers already report regularly
with photos/videos
scientifically documented through your photographs

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).

approved dead animal finds already documented for science

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.