Introduction

This project uses cetacean sighting data from across the Pacific to investigate whether sightings are evenly distributed across place, time, and species. At first, one might expect a broad ocean-wide dataset to produce relatively balanced patterns across regions and years but instead, the data shows that a relatively small number of regions account for a disproportionate share of sightings, a smaller set of species drives much of the observed activity, and these patterns shift across time rather than remaining constant. This project investigates that claim using maps, summary charts, and interactive dashboards. Throughout this project, I use a consistent visual approach through repeated terminology, comparable labeling, and a stable design structure so that viewers can focus on the patterns rather than relearning each figure. Together, these visualizations show that Pacific cetacean sightings are shaped by the interaction of geography, time, and species composition rather than by any single factor alone.

Visual 1: Animated Map of Whale Sightings

This animated map shows that cetacean sightings are not spread uniformly across the Pacific. Instead, sightings repeatedly cluster in certain areas and shift over time, suggesting that the spatial pattern is dynamic rather than fixed. This first visual introduces both the geographic and temporal dimensions of the project at once and supports the broader claim that Pacific sightings vary across years instead of following one stable arrangement. Animation is especially useful here because it shows not just where sightings occur, but how those spatial clusters shift across years. In the embedded Tableau visualization below, a singular species or set of species can be selected to see how they change throughout time specifically.

Live Tableau Visualization: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/emmanuel.koutsourais/viz/WhaleSitings/AnimatedMap-WhaleSitings?publish=yes

Visual 2: Static Overview Map

This static map complements the animation by showing the full spatial pattern across all years at once. While the animated map emphasizes year-to-year movement, this overview map shows the cumulative geography of sightings and makes clear that the dataset is dominated by a limited set of Pacific zones rather than a broad even spread. This supports the project’s claim that sightings are regionally concentrated.

Visual 3: Total Sightings by Year

This line chart shows that total sighting counts vary meaningfully over time instead of just remaining the same each year. That is important because it shows that the temporal dimension of the dataset is not just cosmetic; changes across years are actually significant enough to affect the overall story. In combination with the animation, this visual makes the temporal pattern both visible and measurable.

Visual 4: Sightings by Region and Species

This bar chart shows that a small number of regions make up much of the total sighting activity. It also shows that regional totals are not made up of the same species in the same proportions. This makes the argument more precise by showing that the Pacific pattern is both geographically uneven and also shaped by differences in species composition across regions. An interactive regional bar chart is useful here because it compares both total activity and species composition at the same time, while also allowing the viewer to inspect exact values more directly.

Visual 5: Most Frequently Sighted Species

This chart shows that the dataset is not driven equally by all species. Instead, a relatively small number of cetacean species make up a large portion of recorded sightings. That concentration helps explain why some regions appear especially prominent and supports the project’s broader claim that species composition is a major driver of the overall pattern.

Visual 6: Regional Species Composition

This composition chart shows that regions differ not just in the number of sightings they contain, but it is also different in the kinds of cetaceans most often observed there. That makes it different from the regional totals chart because it focuses on proportional makeup rather than count. Together, these two visuals show that regional dominance and species dominance are related but they are not identical parts of the story.

Visual 7: Shiny App 1-Interactive Map Explorer

This app extends the spatial story because it allows the viewer to isolate specific species, regions, year ranges, and minimum group sizes. Unlike the animation, which gives a broad overview one year at a time, this app allows the user to test more targeted questions under custom filters. It also includes a hotspot map, a seasonality heatmap, and a regional summary table, so it is a very detailed interactive explorer. This makes the spatial argument more transparent and explorable because the viewer can test whether regional clustering and temporal variation still appear under different filtered conditions.

Live Link: https://emmanuel333.shinyapps.io/app1/

Interactive Shiny Application

Visual 8: Shiny App 2-Regional Comparison Dashboard

This app strengthens the comparison side of the project by allowing users to evaluate how selected regions differ in both total sightings and species composition. It also includes a view showing which species was most common in each region across time, which makes the app more temporal and helps show whether species dominance stayed stable or changed across years. That makes it different from the first app because it emphasizes direct comparison rather than hotspot exploration. In that sense, it reinforces the project’s argument that Pacific sighting patterns are structured, unequal, and species-dependent.

Live Link: https://emmanuel333.shinyapps.io/app2/

Visual 9: Top Regions by Total Sightings

This chart sharpens one of the project’s central claims which is that cetacean sightings are not evenly distributed across Pacific regions, but rather a relatively small number of regions account for a disproportionately large share of the total observations. Compared with the broader Plotly regional chart, this figure removes clutter and makes the concentration pattern easier to see immediately. It therefore strengthens the project’s argument that regional dominance is one of the defining features of the dataset. A simplified top-regions bar chart is appropriate here because it removes clutter and makes regional concentration immediately visible.

Visual 10: Top Species by Year

This chart shows that even among the most frequently observed species, contributions to the total sighting pattern are not stable or equal across time. Some species remain consistently prominent, while others fluctuate more noticeably from year to year. That makes the project’s broader argument more precise: Pacific cetacean sightings are shaped not only by regional concentration, but also by changing species-specific contributions over time.

Visual 11: Regional Rank Over Time

This graph shows how the ranking of the most active regions changed across years. Unlike the regional totals chart, which focuses on absolute counts, this visualization focuses on relative position from year to year. That makes it useful for seeing whether the same regions stayed dominant across time or whether their importance shifted. I included it as an additional temporal visualization because it helps connect the regional and time components of the story in a more direct way.

Accessibility and Design Choices

This project makes several accessibility and design efforts. Titles and surrounding descriptions state the main takeaway of each visual clearly so that the viewer does not need to infer the purpose of the graph alone. Similar terms for region, species, and year are used consistently across visuals, and related figures are grouped so that the progression of the story is easy to follow. Interactive visuals are paired with screenshots or descriptions so that the report still communicates the main pattern even without direct interaction. In addition, the project emphasizes comparisons through position, grouping, and labeling rather than relying only on color, which helps make the figures clearer and more accessible.

Conclusion

Taken together, these ten visualizations show that cetacean sightings across the Pacific are regionally concentrated, disproportionately driven by a relatively small set of species, and variable across time. The maps reveal strong spatial clustering, the yearly trend charts show meaningful temporal change, and the regional and species comparisons clarify which areas and species drive the broader pattern. The interactive apps extend the project by allowing the viewer to test those patterns directly. As a whole, the project tells a connected visual story about where cetaceans are seen, how those patterns change, and which regions and species matter most in the dataset.