--- license: cc-by-4.0 task_categories: - object-detection - image-classification language: - en tags: - biology - ecology - wildlife-monitoring - drone - uav - aerial-imagery - thermal-infrared - multimodal - cetacean - marine-mammal - humpback-whale - flukeprint - darwin-core - iceland - fair2drones pretty_name: >- IceFlukes: Paired RGB–TIR UAV Dataset of Humpback Whale Surfacing Events and Flukeprints, SkjΓ‘lfandi Bay, Iceland, 2025 size_categories: - 1K **Note on full dataset availability**: The complete set of extracted frames (~5,000 frames, annotated in RGB and TIR) is available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, pending publication of the associated manuscript. All annotation files, metadata, and example frames are openly available in this repository. > **Note on annotation completeness**: `flukeprint_dataset.xlsx` contains annotations for approximately 2,500 RGB and 2,500 TIR frames (current version). Additional annotations including inter-annotator agreement scores are available on request. --- ## Annotation Schema Annotations are stored in `flukeprint_dataset.xlsx` and a subset in `flukeprint_annotations_example.csv`. Each row corresponds to one extracted frame. | Column | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | `filename` | string | Frame filename (links to image file) | | `video_id` | integer | Numeric video identifier | | `event_id` | float | Surfacing event identifier within video | | `whale_id` | string | Individual ID (e.g. A001, Y030, P01) | | `frame_number` | integer | Sequential frame number within video | | `time_offset` | integer | Time offset in seconds relative to surfacing event (negative = before, 0 = during, positive = after) | | `seq_number` | integer | Sequential frame number within a given time offset | | `modality` | string | `RGB` or `TIR` | | `D1_this_event` | 0/1 | Direct detection: focal whale body visible at/near surface | | `D1_other_event` | 0/1 | Direct detection: a different whale visible (different from the focal event or individual) | | `D2` | 0/1 | Indirect detection: flukeprint or surface disturbance attributable to a whale | | `confidence_D1` | 0–5 | Annotator confidence in D1 detection | | `confidence_D2` | 0–5 | Annotator confidence in D2 detection | | `fov_status` | string | `full` / `part` / `out` β€” whether the event location was visible in frame | | `annotator` | string | Annotator initials | **Frame extraction offsets**: Frames were extracted at βˆ’20, βˆ’10, βˆ’5 s before surfacing start; during surfacing (5 random frames per minute); and at +5, +10, +20, +30, +60, +120, +180, +240, +300, +360, +420, +480 s after surfacing end. RGB and TIR frames are paired by filename β€” the same filename appears in both the `RGB/` and `TIR/` subdirectories. ### Frame Filename Convention ``` video_[VID]_event[EID]_[WID]_[OFFSET]_t[Β±SSSSS]s[_NN].jpg Example: video_011_event2_A007_980_t+00480s.jpg β””β”€β”€β”¬β”€β”€β”€β”˜ β””β”€β”¬β”€β”€β”˜ β””β”€β”€β”¬β”˜ β””β”€β”¬β”˜ β””β”€β”€β”€β”¬β”€β”€β”€β”˜ β”‚ β”‚ β”‚ β”‚ └────── human-readable time offset β”‚ β”‚ β”‚ └───────────── offset code (see table below) β”‚ β”‚ └────────────────── individual whale ID β”‚ └────────────────────────── surfacing event number within video └────────────────────────────────── video identifier Example with sequential suffix (frames extracted during surfacing event): video_011_event1_A007_500_t+00000s_03.jpg β””β”€β”€β”¬β”€β”€β”˜ └── sequential frame number (only present for t+00000s frames) ``` | Offset code | Time offset | Meaning | |---|---|---| | `480` | tβˆ’20 s | 20 s before surfacing start | | `490` | tβˆ’10 s | 10 s before surfacing start | | `495` | tβˆ’5 s | 5 s before surfacing start | | `500` | t+0 s | During surfacing (animal visible) | | `505` | t+5 s | 5 s after surfacing end | | `510` | t+10 s | 10 s after surfacing end | | `520` | t+20 s | 20 s after surfacing end | | `530` | t+30 s | 30 s after surfacing end | | `560` | t+60 s | 1 min after surfacing end | | `620` | t+120 s | 2 min after surfacing end | | `680` | t+180 s | 3 min after surfacing end | | `740` | t+240 s | 4 min after surfacing end | | `800` | t+300 s | 5 min after surfacing end | | `860` | t+360 s | 6 min after surfacing end | | `920` | t+420 s | 7 min after surfacing end | | `980` | t+480 s | 8 min after surfacing end | **Note**: RGB and TIR frames share identical filenames. The same filename in `frames/RGB/` and `frames/TIR/` corresponds to the same moment from the two synchronised video streams. --- ## Darwin Core Compliance This dataset follows the [Darwin Core standard](https://dwc.tdwg.org/) for biodiversity data exchange. - **Event records** (`metadata/all_events.csv`): one row per video file. Fields include `eventID`, `eventDate`, `eventTime` (UTC), `decimalLatitude`, `decimalLongitude` (rounded to 2 decimal places, ~1 km precision), `samplingProtocol`, `samplingEffort`, and platform telemetry fields. - **Occurrence records** (`metadata/occurrences.csv`): one row per individual Γ— video. Fields include `occurrenceID`, `scientificName` (full taxonomy to species level), `individualID`, `lifeStage`, `individualCount`, `basisOfRecord`, and `identificationRemarks`. Coordinates are rounded to 2 decimal places (~1 km) to protect exact animal locations. --- ## Data Loading Examples ```python import pandas as pd # Load Darwin Core event records (one row per video) events = pd.read_csv("metadata/all_events.csv") print(f"{len(events)} events, {events['eventDate'].nunique()} survey days") # Load Darwin Core occurrence records (one row per individual x video) occ = pd.read_csv("metadata/occurrences.csv") print(f"{len(occ)} occurrences, {occ['whale_id'].nunique()} unique individual IDs") # Load example annotations annot = pd.read_csv("example_data/flukeprint_annotations_example.csv") # Filter to TIR frames with flukeprint detections only flukeprints_tir = annot[(annot["modality"] == "TIR") & (annot["D2"] == 1)] print(f"{len(flukeprints_tir)} TIR frames with flukeprint detections") # Plot detection rate by time offset import matplotlib.pyplot as plt rgb = annot[annot["modality"] == "RGB"] d2_by_offset = rgb.groupby("time_offset")["D2"].mean() d2_by_offset.plot(kind="bar", title="Flukeprint detection rate by time offset (RGB)") plt.xlabel("Time offset (s)") plt.ylabel("Proportion of frames with D2 = 1") plt.tight_layout() plt.show() ``` ```python # Load full annotation file (requires openpyxl) full_annot = pd.read_excel("annotations/flukeprint_dataset.xlsx", sheet_name="flukeprint_dataset") # Summary by modality print(full_annot.groupby("modality")[["D1_event", "D2"]].mean().round(3)) ``` --- ## Dataset Creation ### Curation Rationale This dataset was created to address a methodological gap in cetacean aerial survey research: the use of thermal infrared UAV imagery to detect indirect surface cues β€” specifically flukeprints β€” that persist at the sea surface after a whale dives. While drone-based cetacean monitoring is increasingly common, virtually all existing datasets focus on direct animal detection in RGB imagery. IceFlukes is, to our knowledge, the first publicly available annotated cetacean drone dataset to (1) include paired RGB and TIR streams, and (2) explicitly annotate indirect surface cues in addition to direct animal sightings. The temporal offset sampling design, i.e. extracting frames systematically before and after each surfacing event, was chosen specifically to capture the full arc of flukeprint appearance, persistence, and dissipation across both modalities. ### Source Data Raw drone footage collected in SkjΓ‘lfandi Bay, Iceland, 13–22 May 2025. Each flight session produced three synchronised video streams per recording: RGB only, TIR only, and a side-by-side composite, along with embedded `.SRT` telemetry files and AirData flight logs. Surfacing events were identified by manual review of RGB footage and annotated with start and end timestamps. Frames were then extracted programmatically at fixed time offsets using custom Python scripts. ### Annotations Surfacing events were manually defined by one annotator (Lucie Laporte-Devylder) by reviewing RGB footage and recording start/end timestamps. Frames were then extracted at systematic time offsets and annotated for D1 (direct animal detection) and D2 (indirect flukeprint detection) with confidence scores. Inter-annotator agreement was assessed on a stratified random subsample independently annotated by both annotators, and evaluated separately for each detection category (D1, D2), for both RGB and TIR imagery. ### Personal and Sensitive Data All flights were conducted over open water. Example frames (video_011, individual A007) exclude any identifiable persons or tourist vessels. GPS coordinates are rounded to 2 decimal places (~1 km precision). No human subjects data is included. --- ## Bias, Risks, and Limitations ### ⚠️ Known Biases **Geographic bias** All data were collected at a single site (SkjΓ‘lfandi Bay, Iceland). Performance of TIR-based flukeprint detection may differ in warmer waters (smaller thermal contrast between flukeprint and sea surface), other sea states, or other geographic regions. **Temporal bias** Data were collected over 10 days in May 2025 (late spring). No seasonal variation is captured. Flukeprint persistence may differ in warmer or colder months due to changes in sea surface temperature and wind conditions. **Species bias** The dataset is dominated by humpback whales (*Megaptera novaeangliae*). Only one harbour porpoise group occurrence (*Phocoena phocoena*) is included. Flukeprint characteristics and detectability will differ for other cetacean species. **Survey design bias** Flights were initiated only after visual confirmation of whale presence from the surface. The dataset therefore represents conditions under which whales are already detectable, and is not suitable for estimating survey-level detection probability without accounting for this. ### Technical Limitations - **Partial annotation**: ~5,000 of the total extracted frames are annotated in the current version; the remainder are available on request - **TIR resolution asymmetry**: the TIR camera (640Γ—512 px) has substantially lower spatial resolution than the RGB camera (up to 8000Γ—6000 px), affecting the spatial detail of flukeprint observations relative to RGB - **Individual identity across sessions**: field ID codes are assigned within each flight session and do not persist across sessions; the same individual may appear under different IDs in different videos - **No external photo-ID matching**: individual IDs are internal to this dataset and have not been matched against published humpback whale catalogues ### Recommendations **For ecological analysis** Use `occurrences.csv` joined to `all_events.csv` via `eventID` for session-level context. Do not extrapolate detection rates to other sites, seasons, or species without additional validation. This dataset is not suitable for abundance estimation. **For computer vision / model training** Ensure that frames from the same surfacing event are not split across train and test sets (use `event_id` as the grouping key). Use `fov_status` to exclude frames where the event location was out of frame. Consider using `confidence_D1` and `confidence_D2` as soft labels or sample weights rather than treating all annotations as equally certain. **For modality comparison** Pair RGB and TIR frames by filename β€” identical filenames in `RGB/` and `TIR/` correspond to the same moment in time from synchronised video streams. ### What This Dataset Should NOT Be Used For - Estimating absolute population sizes or survey-level detection probability (non-random, opportunistic design) - Generalising flukeprint detectability to other cetacean species, sea states, or geographic regions without additional validation - Long-term individual re-sighting analysis based on current session IDs (IDs are not persistent and have not been matched to external catalogues) --- ## Validation and Quality Metrics ### πŸ€– AI-Readiness | Item | Status | |---|---| | Machine-readable metadata (YAML front matter) | βœ… | | Structured telemetry in Darwin Core format | βœ… | | Train/val/test splits | ⚠️ Not pre-defined β€” users should split by `event_id` to avoid data leakage | | Data loading code provided | βœ… See Data Loading Examples above | | Example frames provided | βœ… 82 RGB + 82 TIR frames from video_011 | | Example notebooks | ❌ Planned for subsequent version | ### 🌿 Darwin Core Validation | Item | Status | |---|---| | Event records complete and valid | βœ… 77 video-level events | | Occurrence records complete and valid | βœ… 106 rows (105 humpback + 1 porpoise) | | Scientific names validated against GBIF backbone | βœ… *Megaptera novaeangliae* (GBIF key: 2440718); *Phocoena phocoena* (GBIF key: 2440704) | | Coordinates in WGS84 | βœ… | | Sampling protocol documented | βœ… | | GBIF dataset registration | ❌ Planned | ### ⚠️ FAIRΒ² Compliance | Principle | Status | |---|---| | **Findable**: DOI assigned | βœ… `10.5281/zenodo.20142274` | | **Accessible**: Open access (CC BY 4.0) | βœ… | | **Interoperable**: Darwin Core, WGS84, ISO 8601, CSV/XLSX formats | βœ… | | **Reusable**: License, provenance, and protocol fully documented | βœ… | | **AI-Ready**: Machine-readable, structured, versioned | βœ… | --- ## Citation If you use this dataset, please cite: > Laporte-Devylder, L., Devylder, S., Rasmussen, M.H., & Wahlberg, M. (2026). *IceFlukes: Paired RGB–TIR UAV Dataset of Humpback Whale Surfacing Events and Flukeprints, SkjΓ‘lfandi Bay, Iceland, 2025* [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20142274 ```bibtex @dataset{laporte-devylder_2026_iceflukes, author = {Laporte-Devylder, Lucie and Devylder, Simon and Rasmussen, Marianne H. and Wahlberg, Magnus}, title = {{IceFlukes: Paired RGB--TIR UAV Dataset of Humpback Whale Surfacing Events and Flukeprints, Skj\'{a}lfandi Bay, Iceland, 2025}}, year = 2026, publisher = {Zenodo}, doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20142274}, url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20142274} } ``` Please also cite the associated manuscript when available: > Laporte-Devylder, L. et al. (*in preparation*). Thermal drone imagery extends cetacean detection window: Flukeprint persistence and survey implications. And the FAIRΒ²Drones standard: ```bibtex @misc{kline2026fair2dronesaireadystandard, title={FAIR^2 Drones: An AI-Ready Standard for Cross-Domain Wildlife Drone Datasets}, author={Jenna Kline and Kilian Meier and Vandita Shukla and Edouard G. A. Rolland and Elena Iannino and Lucie Laporte-Devylder and Constanza Andrea Molina Catricheo and Blair Costelloe and Elizabeth Campolongo and Henrik S. Midtiby and Devis Tuia and Benjamin Risse and Ulrik P. S. Lundquist and Anders Lyhne Christensen and Fabio Remondino and Thomas Richardson and Tanya Berger-Wolf}, year={2026}, eprint={2606.00355}, archivePrefix={arXiv}, primaryClass={cs.RO}, url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.00355}, } ``` --- ## Acknowledgements We thank the **Husavik Research Center** for logistical support, site access, and research permits. We thank the local boat operators and field assistants who supported data collection in SkjΓ‘lfandi Bay. --- ## Related Resources - [FAIRΒ²Drones standard](https://imageomics.github.io/fair_drones/) - [WildDrone MSCA Doctoral Network](https://wilddrone.eu) - [Husavik Research Center](https://www.husavik.com/research-center/) - [DJI Mavic 3 Thermal specifications](https://enterprise.dji.com/mavic-3-enterprise/specs) - [Darwin Core standard](https://dwc.tdwg.org/) - [Zenodo record](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20142274)