Sea Watcher vs CritterQuest
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Sea Watcher
Log sightings of marine megafauna like whales, dolphins, and seals across UK and European waters. Identify species, record valuable data, and contribute to scientific understanding of marine life. Review your past sightings and see what others have observed.
- Log marine megafauna sightings
- Identify whales, dolphins, seals, and more
- Record sighting location and time
- Contribute to marine species research
- View past and recent sightings
- Learn about marine species
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Welcome to the Sea Watcher app! Here you can log your sightings of whales, dolphins, seals and other megafauna (basking sharks, ocean sunfish and sea turtles) anywhere in the UK and European waters. Whether walking along the coast path, watching from a clifftop or spotting from a boat, the Sea Watcher app will help you identify what you saw and record all the information that will be useful to help us understand more about all these marine species in the UK and European waters! The information you collect will be used to understand which species are seen where and when, and to highlight changes over time. It is also important to record when you are looking out for marine wildlife but donβt see any. You will be able to revisit your sightings as well as find out what others have seen around the British Isles in the last week, month or year. We hope you enjoy using this app and that it helps you to become a confident and regular Sea Watcher!
CritterQuest
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Discover Wildlife with CritterQuest! Turn every walk, hike, road trip, or backyard visit into a wildlife adventure. CritterQuest helps you explore, record, and learn about animals across the UK, United States, Canada, and Mexico. Track Every Sighting Log species, date, location, and notes in seconds. Build a personal wildlife journal and watch your discoveries grow over time. Explore Nearby Wildlife See what others are spotting near you on an interactive map. Filter by species, date, or area to find the best places for your next outing. Learn as You Explore Browse trusted information for hundreds of species, including: Common and scientific names Reference images Habitats and behaviors Identification tips Conservation status Everything You Need in One App Personal wildlife tracker Complete sightings history Nearby sightings map with filters Detailed species profiles Offline access Clean, nature-inspired design Privacy First Your location is only used to tag your own sightings and is never shared publicly. You can delete your account and data at any time. Download CritterQuest today and start discovering the wildlife around you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CritterQuest at every 11 days against Sea Watcher's every 6 weeks. Sea Watcher's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sea Watcher ships an update every 6 weeks, CritterQuest every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sea Watcher | CritterQuest |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | β |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 11 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | β |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 β better | 15.1 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sea Watch Foundation - The Cetacean Monitoring Unit | Alice Spink |
In-app purchases
Sea Watcher
No in-app purchases
CritterQuest
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sea Watcher free?
Is CritterQuest free?
Do Sea Watcher or CritterQuest have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sea Watcher or CritterQuest?
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