Article overview: Whale-avoidance technology is moving from research projects to real boats. Viking Yachts is now evaluating WhaleSpotter, a thermal-imaging and AI detection system, aboard its ne...
Whale-avoidance technology is moving from research projects to real boats. Viking Yachts is now evaluating WhaleSpotter, a thermal-imaging and AI detection system, aboard its new Viking 70 Convertible demo boat.
How WhaleSpotter works
WhaleSpotter uses thermal cameras and AI software to pick out whales ahead of a moving vessel and alert the captain. The software is trained to tell whales apart from waves, spray and other activity on the water. Depending on camera height and whale size, the company reports reliable detection at 2 to 3 nautical miles, day or night.
"Seeing a whale two or three miles ahead gives a captain time to make a small course correction to avoid it," said Shawn Henry, CEO of WhaleSpotter.
The system grew out of more than a decade of research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and WhaleSpotter reports more than 70 systems deployed worldwide, on commercial vessels and at shore-based monitoring sites. Henry noted that the team can often identify a North Atlantic right whale by the distinctive V shape of its blow, which helps distinguish it from a humpback.
What's aboard the 70
Atlantic Marine Electronics (AME), a Viking subsidiary, installed WhaleSpotter on the 70's tuna tower using a removable mount. The thermal camera and processing computer share a single unit. At the helm, a separate tablet shows the thermal image along with the estimated distance and bearing of any detected whale, and an audible alert sounds when one is spotted.
The system collected data on the 70's recent trip from New Jersey to Florida. No whales were detected, but it will stay aboard during regular demo boat operations. Viking says this is the first WhaleSpotter demonstration on a sportfishing yacht. It was also displayed for visitors and media at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Part of a bigger effort
WhaleSpotter is the latest technology to come through Viking's Whale and Vessel Safety (WAVS) Taskforce, formed with industry partners in late 2022 to advance technology-based solutions to vessel strikes, particularly those involving the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Viking has also worked with marine technology partners, including Viam, since 2022.
WAVS runs a 24-foot Contender research boat equipped with thermal imaging, radar, and AI-based detection. The boat is wrapping up a productive season in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where NOAA personnel, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation board members, and marine electronics companies have come aboard to see the technology. The team also ran maneuvers and examined NMEA vessel data to assess how responses to whale detections can be tracked. Plans are in the works to bring the boat to the South Atlantic this winter.
Why it matters for the rules
NOAA is considering modernizing its 2008 vessel speed rule, which requires most vessels 65 feet or longer to travel at 10 knots or less in designated Seasonal Management Areas along the East Coast at certain times of year. President Trump's Sept. 17 executive order directs NOAA to use advances in marine mammal avoidance technology and to coordinate with the private sector. Viking has urged the agency to move forward with a proposed rule that reflects the industry's progress.
"The technology has advanced significantly since the 2008 rule was adopted," said John DePersenaire, Viking's Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability. "WhaleSpotter illustrates the rapid pace at which whale-detection technologies are being commercialized and put into use."
The takeaway
For captains, the appeal is simple: earlier warning means smaller, calmer course corrections instead of last-second maneuvers. As these systems become more practical and accessible for recreational boats, they could change how the industry approaches vessel-strike risk. Viking's goal is to keep proving that in real-world boating conditions.