OUR MISSION
Bringing respect back to the heart of whale watching.
Whale watching has profoundly changed our relationship with whales.
By gradually replacing whaling, it allowed millions of people to discover these animals in their natural environment. It was a remarkable step forward.
But the success of whale watching also created a new challenge.
But the success of whale watching also created a new challenge. Over the years, the industry expanded on a global scale. In some destinations, commercial pressure, competition between operators, and growing visitor expectations gradually encouraged a results-driven approach: seeing whales, getting closer, staying longer.
When observation becomes an objective to achieve at all costs, respect can easily move into the background.
Pour répondre à ce défi, nous identifions et référençons les opérateurs qui démontrent qu’il est possible de proposer des rencontres extraordinaires avec les cétacés sans compromettre leur bien-être.
Because the goal is not simply to see whales.
The quality of an encounter is not measured by how close it gets. It is measured by the respect it contains.
Choose Respect
Every booking made with a Shelltone-referenced operator supports a vision of whale watching where respect comes before results.
We believe extraordinary encounters with whales are possible without constantly seeking greater proximity, longer interactions, or treating their presence as something to be achieved.
Every day, the operators we select demonstrate that whale watching can be done differently.
Choosing these operators means choosing more than just a whale watching trip.
You are choosing respect.
Not convenience.
Not entertainment.
Respect.
NOT ALL ENCOUNTERS ARE CREATED EQUAL
CHOOSE RESPECT
Pierre Lavagne De Castellan
Marine bioacoustician – Ethologist – Founder of 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 niche activity practiced by a small community of enthusiasts, naturalists, and scientists. Over the years, I watched it become a global industry, giving millions of people the opportunity to encounter cetaceans in their natural environment.
This transformation opened the door to extraordinary experiences and helped countless people discover a deeper connection with the living world. 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 protecting 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 an encounter over 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 extraordinary encounters with whales are possible without compromising their well-being.
It was to bring these operators into the spotlight that I created the Shelltone Whale Project.
Not All Encounters Are Created Equal
And because respect deserves to be chosen.
