Matson Deploys Whale Spotting Technology to Avoid Ship Strikes
The thermal watchkeepers of the whale spotting system, as deployed on a vessel.
Photo Credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Watch out for whales! A new technology that leverages machine learning to analyze thermal images will help Matson container ships steer clear of marine mammals. The company reached a product agreement with WhaleSpotter to purchase and deploy a whale detection system developed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts.
The system’s real-time alerts give vessel crews the opportunity to adjust course and reduce the risk of whale strikes.
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In 2023, Matson provided WHOI with a $1 million research grant, as well as access to vessels and crews, to help advance the system’s development. Since then, Matson has successfully trialed three WhaleSpotter units on its container ships and has ordered four additional units for vessels serving Hawai’i and Alaska. The company makes twice weekly deliveries from Tacoma, Washington, to ports in Anchorage and Kodiak, and once weekly to Dutch Harbor.
WhaleSpotter’s system uses thermal imaging and proprietary AI algorithms to detect whales in real time. WhaleSpotter technology is designed for easy deployment on container ships, cruise ships, ferries, offshore construction vessels, and research platforms.
“The technology is remarkable—and now refined to meet our zero-false-alert requirements,” says Matson Chairman and CEO Matt Cox. “Our crews are enthusiastic about this new tool and are already using it to help protect whales.” The company says field deployments have demonstrated that WhaleSpotter can detect surfacing whales miles away and alert Matson crews within seconds.
WhaleSpotter was co-founded in 2024 by WHOI scientist Daniel Zitterbart and the co-developer of the AI detection algorithm Sebastian Richter. Shawn Henry, a veteran technology executive formerly of microlocation company Humatics (maker of equipment tracking tags), is WhaleSpotter’s CEO, leading the company’s transition from research to commercial production.
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WhaleSpotter manufactures the commercial camera units domestically under an exclusive technology license from WHOI. WhaleSpotter’s first fifty commercial production units are now deployed and providing eyes on the ocean, with plans to expand deployments across container, cruise, and research vessels worldwide.
Matson is the first container shipping company to deploy the system, building upon its $1 million research grant and vessel support that helped bring the system to readiness.
“Matson has been a true partner, not just in the research phase but through every step of refinement and testing,” Henry says. “Their operational feedback on installation, connectivity, and user experience have helped us prepare the system for large scale commercial deployment. Together, we’re proving that advanced technology can help protect marine life while improving maritime operations.”
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, exact numbers of ship strikes are unknown because fatal collisions can occur without the vessel noticing. However, the group suggests that a 10 percent speed reduction by the worldwide shipping fleet would reduce the risk of strikes by half. For this reason, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration limits the speed of vessels 65 feet or longer in certain areas of the North Atlantic to 10 knots or less during certain times of year, to protect critically endangered right whales.
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