ABOUT SEALIFEWIKI
Marine life, with the evidence attached.
Find species around a destination, discover places where a species has been recorded, and learn what the records can—and cannot—tell you.
How species and places connect
Our published index matches scientific names in the SeaLifeWiki guide to public Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) checklists. Each destination page links its exact source query and gives the retrieval date. Both directions use this shared index. Refreshing a map requests live evidence, so newer results can differ from the published index.
Searches use records since January 1 of the year ten years before the refresh. Most destinations cover a 40 km radius. Florida Keys, Hawaiʻi, Monterey Bay and Chesapeake Bay use the regional rectangles shown by their map searches. These search areas are not marine-park boundaries or individual dive sites.
What a match means
We match accepted scientific names exactly, retain marine or brackish-water animal species, and do not infer presence from an illustration or a general range description. Queries are bounded to 1,000 checklist taxa. Missing matches may reflect coverage, taxonomy or that limit. They are not proof of absence. Counts measure source records, not unique animals, abundance or the chance of a sighting.
The live map also draws on research-grade iNaturalist observations. Sources can overlap, so their counts are not added together. Month filters inspect dated observations rather than predicting a viewing season. A published range or observation depth does not establish a safe activity or dive plan.
Protecting location information
We do not plot records marked private, obscured, withheld or generalized, or points with reported uncertainty greater than 10 km. A location on a map represents a retrieved observation, not an animal’s current position. Please observe wildlife without touching, chasing or feeding it and follow current local guidance.
Editorial standards
SeaLifeWiki is responsible for the editorial summaries on this site. Species profiles distinguish reference facts from the limited observation sample. Articles name their sources, retain photograph credits and explain uncertainty. An organizational byline does not imply that a marine biologist reviewed the page or that we visited the location. We do not present generated encounters, product tests or expert credentials as real.
The shop and buying guides
SeaLifeWiki sells the gear linked from this site. Buying guides compare supplier-listed specifications and disclose that relationship. They do not claim hands-on testing. Prices and availability are supplied by the shop.
Corrections and source checks
To question a record, open its source link and review the original dataset and identification. For an editorial correction, use the SeaLifeWiki contact page and include the page address, the disputed statement and a supporting reference. Please do not send sensitive wildlife coordinates.