Whale Report Alert System

Project Overview

OceanWise, a leading marine conservation organization, needed a modern, reliable platform to help reduce ship strikes, one of the top human-caused threats to whale populations. They partnered with Skyrocket Digital to lead the design, development, and delivery of the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS) an upgrade to their legacy whale report application.

WRAS allows mariners and regular users to report whale sightings and provides real-time alerts to mariners when whales are nearby. It also gathers data from whale detection sources and shares updates across mobile and web platforms. I as a full stack developer for the Skyrocket dev team, focused on the mobile experience while supporting backend services and infrastructure when needed.

The end users include mariners, researchers, and companies like BC Ferries who operate along British Columbia’s coast.

This application is divided between a web application, a mobile application for iOS and Android and a web dashboard for admin usage.

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Project Scope

We delivered:

• A mobile app (iOS & Android)
• A backend
• A web portal and admin dashboard for internal use
• Cloud infrastructure with an automated CI/CD pipeline
• Offline-first capabilities and real-time syncing features
• Support for push, email and SMS notifications

Timeline: The project was developed and launched over several months, with phased testing via alpha and beta groups.

Unique Features

• Offline-First Mobile App: Designed for mariners who often lose signal at sea. The app stores and updates local data so users always have access—even without a connection.
• Real-Time Whale Alerts: Sends accurate and timely whale sighting data to prevent collisions.
• Dual Notification System: Uses both push notifications and SMS as a backup to ensure users are notified even when offline, emails can also be sent to the user if accepted.
• Multi-Platform Ecosystem: A unified experience across mobile, web, and admin tools.

Challenges

• Notification Logic: Building a reliable system to send time-sensitive alerts was tricky. Fortunately, Felipe (our dev manager) tackled this with a mix of clever logic well planned infrastructure and fallback options like SMS and email to ensure the users get the notifications in time.
• Offline Capability: A must-have for users out at sea. I implemented a local storage strategy where the app renders from a cached database while background tasks fetch and sync new data as soon as a connection is available.
• Online syncronization: the application was built to keep a constant stream of updates that will ensure the latest information is always available when connected, which allows the users to see as sightings from other users appear in their maps.

All 3 problems required extra care, especially around testing and edge cases, but we pulled it off with solid teamwork and planning.

Client & Team Collaboration

We worked closely with OceanWise throughout the project. Feedback loops were tight and we demoed features regularly and incorporated field tester feedback quickly. Internally, I collaborated with a small, agile dev team, contributing with most of the mobile code and backend support when needed.

Communication was smooth, and the team’s flexibility made it easy to shift priorities as new requirements came up.

Results / Impact

• Positive Feedback: Early alpha and beta testers reported the app is intuitive and clearly a major step up from the legacy system.
• Operational Readiness: BC Ferries and other commercial partners now have a working tool in hand to help reduce whale strikes.
• User-Centered Design: The interface has been praised for its clarity and ease of use which is something critical when you're trying to read a map on a boat.

The application just launched, but the signs are promising and the feedback so far validates the design and tech decisions we made.

Post-Launch Support

We're already planning a “V2” with more QOL improvements, bug fixes, and possibly more detection integrations. We’ll also continue supporting and monitoring the system in production.

Final Thoughts

WRAS was one of those rare projects where the tech has a real-world impact and every alert could mean a whale saved and an accident prevented. I’m proud of how we built a reliable, ecosystem that fits the unique needs of mariners and conservationists alike and that we had the opportunity to work with such a company like OceanWise, a truly fulfilling experience.

It also showed how a small team, with the right tools and collaboration, can solve big environmental problems with software. Can’t wait to see how it evolves!