Comparison

Whale Alert vs Forayz

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Whale Alert

This app helps protect whales by reducing ship strikes. It allows users to report whale sightings, access real-time alerts about whale activity and regulations, and view an interactive map of whale presence. It also provides tools for identifying whale species and connecting with response teams.

Highlights
  • Interactive whale sighting map
  • Real-time whale activity alerts
  • Report live, dead, or injured whales
  • Whale identification guide
  • Connect with first responders
  • Collision risk monitoring
  • Marine rules and speed zones
Read full description

Protect Whales. Prevent Collisions. Join the Effort. Vessel strikes are a leading cause of whale injury and death around the world. With the Whale Alert app, you can help keep whales safe—whether you're a mariner, recreational boater, beachgoer, or scientist. Whale Alert turns your sightings into action. Report live, dead, or injured whales, stay informed about speed zones and regulations, and view whale activity on an interactive map. Every report contributes to a safer ocean for whales and people. Key Features: - Interactive Map: View recent whale sightings from professionals and citizen scientists, acoustic detections from buoys and gliders, and aerial survey data. - Real-Time Alerts: Get notified when you're near recent whale activity or areas of concern. - Report Sightings: Log sightings of living, dead, or injured whales and report marine hazards or vessel strikes. - Whale ID Guide: Identify whale species accurately using an in-app identification tool. - First Responder Connection: Quickly connect with response teams for distressed, stranded or dead whales.. - Collision Risk Monitoring: Understand your vessel’s risk based on location, speed, and likelihood of whale presence. - Marine Rules at a Glance: Access speed limits, seasonal protections, and region-specific whale approach guidelines. - Data-Rich Map Layers: Includes arine sanctuaries and protected areas, seasonal and dynamic management areas, U.S. marine charts, NOAA PORTS® data, and likely whale presence along the U.S. East Coast and Europe. - Multilingual Support: Available in English, French, and Spanish. Whale Alert is currently available in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. ______________________________________ Why It Matters: Whales are vulnerable to collisions with vessels of all sizes. In California, gray whales are the most commonly reported victims of vessel strikes. On the Atlantic coast, the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale faces a similar threat. In the Mediterranean, vessel strikes are the leading cause of human-caused death for fin and sperm whales. Slowing down saves lives. Whale Alert empowers you to take simple, informed actions that make a big impact. By reporting sightings and following in-app guidance, you help reduce ship strikes, inform science and policy, and protect some of the ocean’s most iconic creatures. The Whale Alert team consists of IFAW, Conserve.IO and Greenov. We are part of a global effort to reduce vessel strikes and other human activities that threaten marine mammals. Our network of partners, contributors and sponsors include NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Whale Alert — West Coast, NOAA Fisheries Service, Canadian Whale Institute, Channel Island Cetacean Research Unit, Bay of Fundy—Tidal Energy, Whale Alert Alaska—National Park Service, The Marine Mammal Center, Orca Network, Beam Reach, OceanWise, Marine Mammal Advisory Group, Ørsted and ProtectedSeas. Download Whale Alert today and help make the ocean safer for whales—one sighting at a time. _______________________________________ Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

Forayz

Discover prime mushroom foraging locations with detailed maps and environmental data. Track wildfire burns, soil conditions, and forest types to plan your next expedition. Offers offline map downloads and GPS tracking for confident navigation.

Highlights
  • Morel and spring king opportunity maps
  • Wildfire burn tracking
  • Soil moisture and temperature data
  • Forest type identification
  • Offline map downloads
  • GPS navigation
Features
Read full description

Find key opportunities for morels, boletes, chanterelles, and other popular mushrooms, and begin planning your next foray. Forayz is the mushroom foraging map built for serious hunters. Track wildfire burns, check soil conditions, and find the forest types that grow the mushrooms you're after. How foragers use Forayz: — Burn areas across the western US, filtered by fire year — Near real-time soil moisture, temperature and precipitation — Tap a spot for likely tree species and current conditions — Start free with an account — no payment required FREE WITH YOUR ACCOUNT • Soil temperature & moisture — regional view, surface and root zone • 7-day precipitation — see where it just rained • Snow cover — time your spring forays • Wildfire smoke — current, 1 and 2-day forecast • Active wildfires — track this year's fires for next year's morel zones • A sample year of past burns — one older fire season, free • Historical burns back to 2006 • Public lands, forest roads, trails and recreation sites • Ecoregions & rainfall normals • Town markers, with a preview of what Pro shows • GPS navigation, and full use of any waypoints and tracks you've already saved FORAYZ PRO • Recent burns — the two most recent fire seasons, with burn severity and prescribed burns • Timber harvests & disturbed forests — recently logged or thinned ground • Full-detail soil maps — zoom all the way in • 14 and 30-day precipitation • Recent snowmelt — a unique spring habitat • Tree species maps and forest maturity • Matsutake habitat (in season) • Town conditions & fruiting calendar — tap a town for soil, rain, snow and a month-by-month calendar of popular species • Save waypoints & record tracks — with GPX import and export • Offline maps — download areas including environmental, tree and satellite views Start free — upgrade to Forayz Pro when you're ready.

Screenshots

Whale Alert4 screens
Forayz4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Forayz at 100% against Whale Alert's 44%. Forayz also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Whale Alert's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (631 vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Forayz sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whale Alert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Forayz holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whale Alert has 631 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Whale Alert's written reviews are positive against 100% of Forayz's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, Forayz every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Whale Alert versus Forayz: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhale AlertForayz
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (631 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings631 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB39 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperConserve.IOSalish Mushrooms. LLC

Customer experience

Whale Alert

All ratings608 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive44.2%
Neutral14.0%
Negative41.9%

Forayz

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Whale Alert

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Forayz

One-time1
  • Forayz Pro 1-year$29.99

Questions

Is Whale Alert free?
Whale Alert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Forayz free?
Forayz is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Whale Alert or Forayz?
Forayz is rated higher. Whale Alert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 631 ratings, while Forayz averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Whale Alert or Forayz have ads?
Neither Whale Alert nor Forayz shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whale Alert or Forayz?
Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, and Forayz every 4 days. Most recently, Whale Alert was updated on October 29, 2026 and Forayz on October 24, 2026.

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