App developed for marine mammal and rare species sightings

The development of a marine mammal sightings and rare species app is currently being tested by Oma Tafua, NIue’s NGO which is responsible for its creation.  

While the app was hoped to be launched last year, owing to the many commitments and late release of a trial last year the NGO states it wasn’t a prime time to be trialed late in the season.

The app has been supported via the UNDP GEF Small Grants scheme having successfully been awarded to Oma Tafua over a year ago.

Oma alongside 4 other civil society and village community groups were recipients of the small grants scheme.

The dive companies have been approached to help test the app for dolphin sightings, mock marine mammal species and rare species including the most recent find of the frogfish.  

This is outside the humpback whale season therefore the sightings are mock for examination and testing of information received prior to the humpback season this year.

Oma Tafua informed that there was a whale sighted off Hio over the weekend and are keen to obtain greater info for documentation.  Last year the NGO revealed a first ever sighting of Blainville’s Beaked whales seen off Niue around 2 kilometers which in 2016 was first documented in Beveridge Reef.

The app for this purpose serves as an easy tool for those out and about to help for Niue’s inventory of species.