The Shelltone
An encounter, a song... The origin of our environmental organization.
The origin of Shelltone Whale Project
It was in Maui, Hawaii, in 1981, that Pierre Lavagne de Castellan first encountered the Koholas, the singing whales, guardians of the Ocean.. This encounter marked the beginning of a unique adventure, at the crossroads of science, music and respect for cetaceans.
Fascinated by the song of humpback whales, Pierre was captivated by the exceptional quality of their music: complex harmonies, unheard-of tessitura, and a deep sense that these songs had a meaning, a specific purpose, perhaps even a spiritual dimension. It was obvious that these melodies didn't just exist to please the human ear; ; they played an essential role in the lives of these marine giants.
Initial research...
To understand the message of whales, you have to go beneath the surface and meet them there. That’s where it happens — in the exchange of notes, of music, of sound. In that shared space, something opens. That’s where they truly reveal what lives inside their song.
Playing music to whales from a boat misses the point. There is no real contact, no physical presence, no shared field.
Trying to decode their language from above — lowering a hydrophone, analyzing signals on a screen, even assisted by artificial intelligence — is like attempting to communicate with your eyes and your heart wide shuts.
Pierre Lavagne de Castellan designed the Shelltone as an instrument meant to be played underwater — where the encounter actually exists.
After two years of research between Stanford University and the École Centrale de Nantes acoustic laboratory, the Shelltone emerged.
With it, he entered the first true underwater musical interactions between a human and a humpback whale — opening a path toward a new form of interspecies communication.
Not mediated. Not interpreted. Experienced.
The only one that holds — eye to eye.Because it is through the eyes that the light of the soul travels.
The creation of Shelltone
If you want to understand whale song, You have to go under the surface and play music with them, that's where it happens, in the exchange of sounds. the message they have in their song.
Trying to understand their language by simply dipping a hydrophone in the water and deciphering sounds on a computer, assisted by artificial intelligence, is a little like try to communicate with eyes and heart wide shut.
In 2002, Pierre Lavagne de Castellan designed the Shelltone, a revolutionary instrument designed specifically for playing underwater. After two years of research between Stanford University in California and the acoustics laboratory at École Centrale de Nantes, the Shelltone was born.
This instrument enabled Pierre Lavagne de Castellan to experience the first real underwater musical interaction between a human and a humpback whale, paving the way for a new form of interspecies communication.
Triton Pacifica
First 3D images
The steel mold
The Shelltone
Incredible discoveries
These experiments have revealed an unsuspected richness. Why do whales sing? The first clues have emerged: their ability to use sound to heal, stimulate reproduction, and even improve the nutritional quality of their food. These discoveries, born of these musical exchanges, now form the core of the research conducted by the Shelltone Whale Project.
A book, The message is in the song, will soon report on this extraordinary adventure.
A mission of respect and preservation
40 years of interaction with whales, Pierre Lavagne de Castellan understood the vital importance of respectful approach techniques. The more confidence cetaceans feel, the more they share rare moments of intimacy.. Conversely, intrusive, profit-driven practices disturb these animals and endanger their well-being.
That's why Shelltone Whale Project works to promote whale watching bases run by enthusiasts who respect cetaceans and their environment. By selecting ethical operators and raising public awareness, thehe project ensures that whale watching is carried out in a spirit of preservation and kindness..
«Choose Respect»
The future of cetaceans depends on our ability to understand and protect them. Whether through cross-species research or the promotion of respectful observation, Shelltone Whale Project is committed to defending the great singers of the oceans.
If you choose a whale watching base, choose one that respects cetaceans.
Shelltone Whale Project - «Choose Respect».
Pierre Lavagne de Castellan
Shelltone Whale Project Research Director
