Contender donated a 24S to the Whale and Vessel Safety Taskforce (WAVS) to test whale detection technology that works in real conditions. The mission is clear: protect whales, protect fishing access, and prove that technology beats blanket bans.
The threat to East Coast fishing
Recently, NOAA proposed shutting down massive areas of the Atlantic to high-speed boating activity to protect North Atlantic right whales, a critically endangered species with fewer than 400 individuals remaining. There’s been one recorded vessel strike on a North Atlantic right whale in the past decade. One strike. Yet the proposed restrictions would have crippled fishing access across much of the East Coast for significant parts of the year, making commercial and recreational fishing nearly impossible in some of our most productive waters.
The boating and fishing industries fought back hard, and the legislation was rejected—for now. But “for now” isn’t good enough when your livelihood and your access to the water are on the line.
A better solution than blanket bans
We’re actively advocating for whale conservation. Nobody wants to hit a whale, not for the whale’s sake and certainly not for the safety of everyone on board. But we also believe technology can solve this problem without shutting down the entire East Coast. That’s where WAVS comes in.
AI detection systems that spot whales before you reach them
The donated 24S Contender serves as a mobile research platform, equipped with cutting-edge AI-based detection systems that identify whales in real time using visual and thermal cameras. Throughout the summer, the boat operated out of Safe Harbor Plymouth in Cape Cod Bay, an area with frequent right whale activity, testing systems like SEA.AI and LOOKOUT that can detect marine mammals, buoys, debris, and other vessels.
The boat also tested direct transmission of whale management alerts via AIS (Automatic Identification System), a low-cost technology already installed on most vessels. If a whale is spotted, nearby boats can receive real-time alerts through their existing electronics, no expensive retrofits required.
This technology gives captains the tools to avoid whales without shutting down access to the water.
Technology can protect whales without eliminating fishing access
Environmental groups are using the whales as justification to stop boating and fishing across vast stretches of ocean. We’re advocating for real conservation, the kind that protects marine life through innovation, not through blanket bans that ignore the data and punish responsible fishermen and boaters.
The WAVS initiative proves that smarter solutions exist. AI detection systems are improving with every trip. Data-sharing protocols are being standardized across the marine electronics industry. Collaboration between NOAA, MITRE, MIT, and regulatory agencies is strengthening. This is how you protect marine life without preventing access to the resource.
WAVS takes the research vessel south for winter testing
The research vessel will continue testing throughout the winter in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In early 2026, WAVS will showcase the boat and its technologies at the Viking and Valhalla VIP Boat Show and the Miami International Boat Show, with in-water demonstrations of AI detection and real-time data sharing.
Contender is proud to support this work. We’ve spent over 40 years building boats for fishermen who respect the ocean and the species in it. Supporting technology that protects both whales and fishing access isn’t just good conservation, it’s protecting the way of life that makes all of this possible.
For more information about the WAVS research vessel and its ongoing projects, visit www.wavstaskforce.com.
“Collaborations like WAVS are vital to advancing AI’s understanding of the ocean environment. Every hour of high-quality data we gather together helps make vessel-based detection smarter, faster, and more reliable, bringing us closer to a world where technology actively protects both people and marine life.”
— Marcus Warrelmann, CEO of SEA.AI
