Messaging Terms

What the program is

Flukesend operates the Flukelogs boat app, which whale watching and wildlife tour crews use to log trips. When a crew encounters an animal in distress, such as one entangled in fishing gear or struck by a vessel, they file an emergency report from the app. This messaging program delivers that report by text to the people who can respond to it.

A single message carries what a radio call loses: the incident, the species, the position, whether the boat can stay with the animal, a reference number, and a callback number for the crew. Photographs from the report may be attached where the network supports them.

Who receives messages, and how they agreed

The recipients are marine mammal stranding responders, and nobody else. There is no public sign-up form, and no number is ever added automatically.

A responder's number is entered by hand by Flukesend, and only after we have spoken to a named person at that organisation by phone and they have agreed out loud to receive these alerts at that number. We write down the date, their name and role, the number, and their answer, and the number stays switched off in our system until that record exists. A confirmation text is sent when it is switched on.

A crew member's number reaches us only if they type it into the emergency report form themselves, and it is used only so a responder can call them back about that report. We never send it a message.

How a number gets on the list, step by step

1. Flukesend telephones a named person at a marine mammal stranding organisation, such as The Marine Mammal Center. We place the call; nobody contacts us to join.
2. On that call we read the consent question below, word for word.
3. The person answers yes, on the call, in their own words.
4. We write down the date, their name, their role, the number and their answer, and keep it.
5. Only then is the number typed into our system by hand and switched on. It stays switched off until that record exists.
6. From then on the number receives a message only when a boat crew files an animal in distress report for the water that responder covers.

There is no other way in.No web form, no paper form, no QR code, no text keyword, no purchased or shared list. A member of the public cannot join this program, and we never text a boat crew: a crew member's own number, if they type one into the emergency report, is passed to the responder as a callback number and is never sent a message by us.

The words we ask people to agree to

Before any number is switched on, we read the person this on the phone and record their answer:

Do you agree to receive text messages (SMS and MMS) from Flukesend at this number, carrying animal emergency reports filed by boat crews in your area? Message frequency varies and is low, typically a few messages per year. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to stop.

We add the number only after they answer yes, and we keep that record on file. There is no web form, no paper form, no QR code and no text keyword: nobody can join this program without us contacting them first, because this is not a program anyone should be able to join without us knowing who they are.

Message frequency

Messages are sent only when a crew files an animal emergency report for the water a responder covers. Frequency varies and is low, typically a few messages per year. We send no marketing, promotional, or recurring messages of any kind.

Cost

Message and data rates may apply. Flukesend does not charge for these messages; your mobile carrier's standard rates apply.

How to stop

Reply STOP to any message to stop receiving them immediately. You will get one confirmation, and nothing after that.

Reply HELP for help, or email slater@flukesend.com. We will also remove a number on request by email or phone, without asking for a reason.

Carriers and delivery

Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. A text message is never the only channel: the same report is also delivered by email, and the app tells the crew to call the response hotline themselves rather than relying on any alert we send.

Privacy

Mobile numbers and consent to receive text messages are never sold, rented, or shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. See the privacy policy for the full account of what we hold and why.

Contact

Questions about this program: slater@flukesend.com.