EON Reality Inc, which develops virtual reality based education and edutainment apps has teamed up with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) in a partnership aimed at increasing awareness of the threats facing whales and dolphins.
WDC are helping EON develop a virtual reality app for mobile devices, designed to provide a more engaging and interactive way to learn about whales and dolphins, wherever in the world you may be, and provide an insight into the plight of whales and dolphins, both in captivity and in the wild. Users will be able to view and interact with creatures and see what their daily lives are like.
“Historically, the main way the public could experience dolphins and whales up close was through aquariums and water parks,” said Anna Lejerskar, Director of EON Reality’s Learn for Life Program. “Unfortunately, the captive mammals pay a very high price by being confined in order to give the public that experience. Thanks to augmented reality and virtual reality, anyone can see whales and dolphins in their natural environments (the wild), and are able to understand that these mammals have the right to exist as nature intends, not as humans decide.”
In Brief
- The introductory app will be free to download while additional educational applications will be for a fee, with proceeds going towards conservation activities.
- Other nature conservation and preservation groups are encouraged to explore similar initiatives, using virtual reality technology as a new way of engaging people to conserve endangered species against the many threats they face.
In Depth
- Read the original story on the WDC website
- Follow WDC on Twitter
- Explore issue further with “Could there be ‘responsible’ dolphin shows or are some things beyond certification?“
