Dolphin and whale lovers can track an ocean animal and support FIU research

Conservation and science meet style with a side of tech when it comes to conducting research on whales and dolphins through a collaboration between FIU and a private company.

FIU marine researcher Jeremy Kiszka has teamed up with Fahlo, a company that sells bracelets with access to an app, which provides tracking information for endangered species. With each bracelet sold, their goal is to spark curiosity for science and conservation. The wildlife-themed bracelets, which cost $16.95 each, come with a QR that opens an app that allows users to follow a real animal’s movements. Each bracelet features one of 18 species being tracked by a partner organization. Kiszka’s lab provides tracking for two groups of species: whales and dolphins. Through the interactive app, users can read about their individual whale or dolphin, see exclusive photos, follow their movements and get updates along the way.

Fahlo’s co-founders, Carter Forbes and DJ Gunter, first met Kiszka through Tristan Guttridge, who is a courtesy research associate professor at FIU, as well as director and chief scientist at Saving the Blue. Guttridge and the Saving the Blue team are providing tracking for Fahlo’s shark bracelets. At the time of introductions, Kiszka was interested in expanding his research on the movements of whales and dolphins, from the Caribbean to the Arctic. Fahlo partnered with FIU and introduced dolphin tracking to their wildlife collection. A few months later, following the massive success of the dolphin bracelet, the whale bracelet was introduced, featuring Kiszka’s research on sperm whales in the Arctic.

Customers can purchase a whale or dolphin bracelet through Fahlo’s website, at beach and surf shops, as well as many natural history museums worldwide. In addition to standard tracking information, users can even see how their animal responds during hurricanes and extreme heat waves. Worry quickly becomes relief when they go online and see their animal moving along in the extreme weather.

A recent app update added more content from scientists including back stories, tagging locations and videos from the field. Users also receive updates on new dolphins or whales that are tagged, creating a more personal connection to the research. Recently, users could follow research conducted by Kiszka in the Arctic or in the Caribbean on different species of whales and dolphins.

Users are guaranteed tracking for at least six months. If an animal’s tracking stops before that time, they’re sent a new dolphin or whale to follow. Tags on dolphins or whales should remain for a few months before naturally detaching. In some cases, tags have remained for extensive periods of time, documenting the movements of sperm whales from the subfreezing Arctic waters where they to the Caribbean Sea where they reproduce. “We just broke a record of a male sperm whale now having been transmitting position for nearly 400 days,” mentioned Kiszka.

“Customers want to feel closer to their animals and know that these purchases mean something,” said Samanta Erb, head of content for Fahlo. “They get so attached (and we get it, because we do too) that there’s real grief when any of the animals reach the end of their research journey.”

Fahlo wasn’t expecting how invested people would become, but Erb said it’s the best reaction to these tracking experiences because people care about what they know and understand. According to Kiszka, the dolphin bracelets have become one of Fahlo’s most successful programs.

“Dolphins are definitely one of those eternally iconic animals,” Erb said. “Their charismatic nature makes them really special, and that means people want to help protect them.”

So far, Fahlo has donated more than $4.5 million to its nonprofit partners supporting animals from gorillas to dolphins. Kiszka earns 10 percent from each dolphin bracelet sold — all of which goes back into research. 

Kiszka’s team is studying how dolphins and whales respond to extreme weather events, from hurricanes to heat waves, climate change, and other human-induced impacts such as maritime traffic and pollution. This data helps scientists inform conservation management strategies.

“Studying movement patterns today helps us so we can predict what could happen in the future,” Kiszka said. “The scientific value of the data collected is far beyond my expectations, and I’m very excited to continue this partnership with Fahlo.”

Fahlo has also launched plushies to garner interest from younger kids — the dolphin launched in October 2024. In addition to the dolphins and whales, Kiszka is working with Fahlo to launch a killer whale series. Tagging for that begins this winter.

“Our relationship with Jeremy and FIU has been nothing short of incredible, and every project gets us more and more excited about what’s to come,” Erb said.

These bracelets may look like simple accessories, but they’re doing more than making a fashion statement. Worn by ocean lovers worldwide, the bracelets are supporting research and helping scientists like Kiszka and his students advance their work in marine animal science and conservation.