ATLAS / OCEAN LIFE
Whales
Whales leave records across many datasets, not a single live track. The current ATLAS whale layer exposes a bounded OBIS occurrence slice so users can explore reported cetacean records while keeping the source limitations visible.
Why it matters
Dots on a map are seductive. They can also be misleading. This object makes the distinction explicit: occurrence records show reported observations or samples, not live positions, migration routes, population size or abundance.
Current / available data
- Current public ATLAS whale layer backed by an OBIS Cetacea occurrence query
- Map exploration of reported cetacean records with the existing shared ATLAS
- Direct route into the curated Orca SPECIES object for deeper source-grounded context
Sources
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System API — Primary source family for the current public ATLAS Cetacea occurrence layer.
Limitations
- Occurrence records are not live animal positions.
- Occurrence points do not form a migration route.
- Record count is not abundance or population size.
- The current broad ATLAS query is bounded and therefore incomplete.