Monitoring whales in remote regions is important for their conservation, using traditional survey platforms (boat and plane) is logistically difficult. The use of very high-resolution satellite imagery to survey whales, particularly in remote regions, is gaining interest and momentum. However, development is hindered by the lack of automated systems to detect whales. Such a system requires an open source library containing examples of whales and confounding features in satellite imagery. Here we present such a database, created by surveying 6,300 km2 of satellite imagery in various regions across the globe, which allowed us to detect 633 whale objects. This dataset contains image chips as png files. Funding was provided from a BAS Innovation Voucher.

Monitoring whales in remote regions is important for their conservation, using traditional survey platforms (boat and plane) is logistically difficult. The use of very high-resolution satellite imagery to survey whales, particularly in remote regions, is gaining interest and momentum. However, development is hindered by the lack of automated systems to detect whales. Such a system requires an open source library containing examples of whales and confounding features in satellite imagery. Here we present such a database, created by surveying 6,300 km2 of satellite imagery in various regions across the globe, which allowed us to detect 633 whale objects and 120 confounding features. Funding was provided from a BAS Innovation Voucher.

This dataset summarises cetacean sightings made during January and February 2019 by an experienced team of cetacean researchers doing regular small-scale surveys in coastal waters close to Cumberland Bay, South Georgia. Some surveys were just within Cumberland Bay, and others include locations to the west and east of Cumberland Bay, as far as Stromness Bay (west) and St Andrews Bay (east). The dataset includes survey tracks, survey effort periods, species sighted and numbers of animals encountered. Over the survey period, Cumberland Bay alone was surveyed six times. Cumberland Bay plus adjoining waters were surveyed nine times, a total of 25:12 hr of search effort for all surveys. Nine expeditions were carried out in January (13:39 hr effort, with whales sighted on six surveys) and six in February (11:33 hr effort, with whales sighted on three surveys). A total of 43 whales (41 humpback whales) were observed during 26 sighting events, nine of which were within Cumberland Bay; a further 10 humpback whales were sighted at the entrance to the Bay (Right Whale Rocks), making a total of 19 humpback whale sightings within or at the entrance to Cumberland Bay. EU BEST 2.0 Medium Grant 1594, DARWIN PLUS award DPLUS057 and funding from the South Georgia Heritage Trust and Friends of South Georgia Island.