Shelltone Whale Project

Since 1981, my passion for cetaceans and my research into interspecies communication with whales have led me to spend a large part of my life alongside them.

Over the decades, I have not only observed whales. I have also witnessed the evolution of our relationship with them.

I remember a time when whale watching was a relatively confidential activity, practiced by a small community of enthusiasts, naturalists, and scientists. I then watched it grow into a global industry, allowing millions of people to discover cetaceans in their natural environment.

This evolution represented remarkable progress. But it also brought new challenges.

Over the years, I have seen many organizations contribute to the protection of cetaceans by establishing increasingly precise approach guidelines and regulations. Their work is essential and has played an important role in improving the protection of whale and dolphin populations around the world.

But my own experience gradually led me toward a different reflection.

Respect does not begin where a rule requires it.

It begins in the intention that guides our encounter with the animal.

A minimum approach distance can be respected without genuine respect. Conversely, some of the most respectful decisions are not written into any regulation.

They are a matter of choice.

The choice to value the quality of the encounter over its proximity.

The choice to accept that sometimes the right decision is not to approach.

The choice to let the animal decide.

Throughout my research and travels, I have also met women and men who share this vision. Dedicated operators guided by their respect for cetaceans rather than by the pursuit of increasingly spectacular encounters.

Professionals who demonstrate every day that it is possible to offer extraordinary experiences with whales without compromising their well-being.

It was to bring these operators into the spotlight that I created the Shelltone Whale Project.

Because not all encounters are created equal.

And because respect deserves to be chosen.

Respectful whale watching : https://www.shelltonewhaleproject.org/en/