GET INVOLVED
Contribute your photographs
NORWEGIAN ORCA ID aims at maintaining a database on individual killer whales that frequent Norwegian coastal and pelagic waters, as well as the Barents Sea and Svalbard area. But, because our team simply cannot cover this huge region or be in the field at all times, we need and appreciate your help. The more available photographs, the more identified individuals and the more records available for each whale. If you have been lucky enough to encounter and photograph killer whales, please share your experience and images with us.
Photo: Clare Andvik
By sharing photographs, you become a citizen-scientist on this long-term project. Your photographs will be cropped to emphasize killer whales' dorsal fin and adjacent saddle patch. From this, individual whales will be identified and records on where and when you have encountered them will be added to the existing sighting database. Your photographs will not be used for any other purposes. Unless you have specified otherwise, your full name will be added to the existing list of contributors (or citizen-scientists) on this website.
Before uploading your killer whale photographs, please make sure they are of sufficient quality and usable for identification purposes. Some examples are given below.
Angle is wrong, resulting in saddle patch and shape of the fin not visible: not usable for identification
Whales are too far distance, resulting in saddle patch and shape of the fin not visible: not usable for identification
Saddle patch and shape of the fin are visible on this relatively close range image: valuable for identification
Send us your photographs accompanied with date and location of the sighting, and your full name. Once your photos have been processed for identification, you will receive feedback on what whales you have seen and what we know of them.
Thank you for your great contribution! You will hear from us!