SeaSpotters is a crowdsourced marine-life sighting aggregator — an interactive map and a date-sorted list of what people are seeing in the sea. We start in the Mediterranean and grow worldwide.
Our mission is simple: help people watch the sea together, share what they find, and stay safe doing it — while building an open record of marine life that is useful far beyond a day at the beach.
For swimmers and beach-goers
Heading into the water? See what people have spotted nearby before you go. Every post is labelled confirmed or unverified so you know how much to trust it, and safety hazards — a dangerous jellyfish bloom, a shark near a swimming beach — are always published immediately and never hidden. Sightings come from the whole community: divers, swimmers, snorkelers, fishers, sailors and beach-goers.
For marine biologists and researchers
SeaSpotters is built for science as much as for swimmers. Every confirmed sighting is a timestamped, geolocated occurrence record — the raw material for tracking species ranges, seasonal movements, invasive arrivals and the slow shifts a warming sea brings. Marine biologists, ecologists, conservation groups, universities and students are all welcome to explore the data, lend expert verification, and use what they find in their work. The species catalogue is open and extensible — never a fixed, shark-only list — so anything from a Mediterranean monk seal to a newly recorded nudibranch has a place here.
Make it your own
Create a free profile and SeaSpotters becomes your personal logbook of the sea. Save the sightings that catch your eye and they gather on your own map — a private chart of what you have spotted and what you are still hoping to find. Reports you contribute carry your name, or stay anonymous if you prefer.
How sightings are verified
A single report starts as unverified. When independent reports of the same animal cluster together — or a trusted spotter or marine-biology expert reviews it — it becomes confirmed. Verification rigour scales with the stakes: a routine dolphin sighting needs less than a record-breaking one, and safety hazards are never gated behind it.
Everyone is welcome
You do not need credentials to take part. A holidaymaker who photographs a turtle and a professor mapping its nesting range are contributing to the same picture. Whoever you are — come watch the sea with us.
Feedback
Bugs, feature requests, data questions or research collaborations are always welcome. Email us at hello@seaspotters.com.