The Shelltone
Over the years, one conviction gradually emerged from my work.
Communication doesn’t begin with sound. It begins with the quality of the relationship. Every genuine relationship begins with respect.
Pierre Lavagne de Castellan
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.
The Early Research
To understand the message of whales, you have to go underwater and play music with them. That is where it happens, beneath the surface, in the exchange of notes, music and sounds. It is within this sharing that we begin to perceive the message contained in their song.
Playing music with whales from a boat only allows for a distant relationship. There is no contact, no physical exchange, no shared emotion.
Trying to understand their language from a boat, simply by lowering a hydrophone into the water and decoding sounds on a computer, even with the assistance of artificial intelligence, is a little like trying to communicate with your eyes and your heart wide shut.
When you play music with a humpback whale underwater, at her side, when you feel her slowly moving closer in order to better perceive the vibration and emotion emitted by your body and your heart, you touch something essential, a moment of absolute sharing, and suddenly you realize that her immense eye is less than a meter from your own, and you feel yourself drawn into the depths of that gaze. It is then that you begin to understand that she is offering you access to her soul.
For it is through the eyes that the light of the soul passes.
The creation of Shelltone
In 2002, Pierre Lavagne de Castellan designed the Shelltone, a revolutionary musical instrument created specifically to be played underwater. After two years of research conducted between Stanford University in California and the Acoustic Laboratory of École Centrale de Nantes in France, the Shelltone was born.
This instrument enabled Pierre Lavagne de Castellan to experience the first true underwater musical interactions between a human and a humpback whale, opening the way to a new form of interspecies communication, the only one truly possible, eye to eye.
Triton Pacifica
First 3D images
The steel mold
The Shelltone
The First Discoveries
These experiences revealed an unexpected richness.
Why do whales sing?
Over the years, the first elements of an answer began to emerge. Musical exchanges with whales opened unexpected perspectives on the role of sound in their world, particularly in the areas of healing, reproduction, and feeding.
These observations now form the core of the research conducted by the Shelltone Whale Project.
A forthcoming book, The Message Is in the Song, will tell the story of this extraordinary journey.
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
