People who spot whales can download one of twoapps that will feed into the Coast Guard’s Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service. Mariners can use radio frequencies and a phone tip line when they spot whales. Participation in the program is voluntary for ships.

The whale desk is modeled to match the Canadian Coast Guard’s “ Marine Mammal Desk." Both American and Canadian desks are built on the backbone of the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS), a program developed by Canada-based Ocean Wise, that incorporates sightings from the individuals apps and other sources, such as a private tracking information used by whale watching boats.