Comparison

Whale Alert vs Aqua Map Boating

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

Aqua Map Boating

This app provides official, weekly updated nautical charts for marine navigation. It allows for offline map downloads, GPS track recording, and integration with onboard instruments. Enhance your boating safety and experience with advanced features like weather forecasts and AIS collision detection.

Highlights
  • Official NOAA nautical charts
  • Offline map downloads
  • GPS track recording
  • Tides and currents predictions
  • Anchor Alarm
  • NMEA instrument connectivity
  • AIS with collision detection
Features
Read full description

Free 14-day trial for all subscriptions   Aqua Map offers weekly updated OFFICIAL NAUTICAL CHARTS (NOAA) for marine navigation. Purchase a chart subscription for the area of your interest, download the map areas for offline use, and connect your onboard instruments for a complete experience. ● BASIC FEATURES - Switch between manual and auto route planning modes - Record your GPS tracks - Store and share your navigation data (markers, routes, and recorded tracks) - Display tides and currents predictions and simulations - Increase your safety with Anchor Alarm - Enable Live Sharing to interact with the Aqua Map community - Display points of interest from the "ActiveCaptain" and "Waterway Guide" communities ● EXPERT SUBSCRIPTION Note: this subscription does not include charts; it must be paired with a chart subscription. - Marine forecasts (wind, waves, currents, gusts, salinity, sea surface temperature + weather information for any point on the map) - Overlay satellite images on the charts - Advanced AnchorLink with anchorage mirroring and email/telegram notifications for greater peace of mind while anchored, even if you are away from the boat - Connect your NMEA instruments via WiFi (autopilot, depth sounder, wind sensor, compass, GPS) and use their data on the app - AIS with automatic collision detection - Route Explorer for real-time information on all elements along your route ● MASTER SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE BEST NAVIGATION EXPERIENCE Note: this subscription does not include charts; it must be paired with a chart subscription. - All features of the EXPERT subscription are included in the MASTER subscription. + LOCAL DATA: > US: Army Corps of Engineers surveys for safe navigation in shallow waters > US: LNMs and "List of Lights" navaids from the Coast Guard. > Canada: NAVWARNs from the Coast Guard. > France: Warnings, Notices and Regulations from the PING > Denmark: Warnings and Notices from the DMA > Western Australia: temporary Notices from the Transport WA   ● PURCHASE OPTIONS To access the charts, you need to purchase a chart subscription for the area of interest. Optionally, you can add the Expert subscription or the Master subscription to unlock extra navigation features and additional data. Subscription payments will be made through your account (Apple ID). The annual subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before expiration. You can manage your subscription and disable automatic renewal in the account settings section after purchase. Terms of use: https://www.aquamap.app/terms-and-conditions Privacy policy: https://www.aquamap.app/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Whale Alert4 screens
Aqua Map Boating4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Whale Alert at none against Aqua Map Boating's 17. Aqua Map Boating's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (65% vs 43%). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whale Alert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Whale Alert against 4.7 for Aqua Map Boating. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqua Map Boating has 14K ratings behind it against 523, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Whale Alert's written reviews are positive against 65% of Aqua Map Boating's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, Aqua Map Boating weekly. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Whale Alert versus Aqua Map Boating: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhale AlertAqua Map Boating
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (523 ratings)4.7 (14K ratings)
Positive reviews42.5% of reviews64.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings52314K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#66 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConserve.IOGEC s.r.l.

Customer experience

Whale Alert

All ratings523 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive42.5%
Neutral15.0%
Negative42.5%

Aqua Map Boating

All ratings13,701 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews291 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral8.9%
Negative26.5%

Bugs and requests

Whale Alert

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Aqua Map Boating

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inconsistent GPS tracking and positioning
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved route planning and optimization
  • Offline map caching and seamless downloads
  • Tidal and wind data overlays
  • Sync capabilities across devices

In-app purchases

None

Whale Alert

No in-app purchases

17 purchases

Aqua Map Boating

Subscriptions15
  • Florida - NOAA Nautical chart14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Alabama to Texas charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Cape Cod to Chesapeake Charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
Show 12 more
  • New England - Nautical charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Virginia to Georgia - Charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Midwest-Minnesota lake charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Michigan & Great Lakes chart14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • US - Nautical & Lakes charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Canada - nautical charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • US & Canada - nautical charts14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Caribbean South Nautical chart14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Bermuda - nautical charts14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Aqua Map Expert14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Aqua Map Master14 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Bahamas - Explorer Charts14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • US & Canada - Nautical chart$49.99
  • Bahamas - Explorer Chartbooks$139.99

Questions

Is Whale Alert free?
Whale Alert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Aqua Map Boating free?
Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Whale Alert or Aqua Map Boating?
Whale Alert and Aqua Map Boating are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 523 and 14K ratings respectively.
Do Whale Alert or Aqua Map Boating have ads?
Neither Whale Alert nor Aqua Map Boating shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whale Alert or Aqua Map Boating?
Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, and Aqua Map Boating weekly. Most recently, Whale Alert was updated on September 28, 2026 and Aqua Map Boating on September 28, 2026.

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