0:00:21.807,0:00:24.347 (Video) (Orcas' sounds) 0:01:03.651,0:01:06.021 (Applause) 0:01:14.165,0:01:18.040 Orcas are magnificent creatures. 0:01:18.746,0:01:22.387 They don't deserve[br]the nickname of "killer whales". 0:01:22.658,0:01:27.162 First of all, they are not whales,[br]they belong to the dolphin family. 0:01:27.489,0:01:32.289 And second, they've never[br]attacked any humans, 0:01:32.309,0:01:34.944 in their natural habitat, that is. 0:01:35.224,0:01:40.069 The first thing you feel[br]when you dive next to orcas 0:01:40.089,0:01:44.673 is an intense joy, the joy of being[br]accepted into their social space 0:01:44.683,0:01:48.493 and be able to observe[br]for a few dozen of minutes 0:01:48.503,0:01:50.415 their underwater life. 0:01:51.705,0:01:57.190 Occasionally, they get curious[br]and come close, very close. 0:01:59.232,0:02:03.124 In this gaze, you can spot [br]a vast intelligence. 0:02:03.394,0:02:06.261 You feel scanned, analyzed, scrutinized, 0:02:06.271,0:02:11.105 as if they had the power[br]to access our deepest emotions. 0:02:11.264,0:02:14.247 But above all, you don't feel the fear, 0:02:14.257,0:02:17.647 you don't feel the tiredness,[br]you don't feel the cold. 0:02:17.675,0:02:22.013 You just feel a wave of emotions[br]and energy that overwhelms you 0:02:22.023,0:02:24.611 and thrills you from head to toes. 0:02:25.643,0:02:28.698 I feel it more and more each year. 0:02:29.158,0:02:33.900 Today, I know why,[br]and I'm going to share it with you. 0:02:35.320,0:02:39.833 My first encounter with orcas[br]goes back to 1997. 0:02:40.483,0:02:43.718 It was two days before[br]an underwater fishing competition. 0:02:43.738,0:02:45.928 This encounter changed[br]the course of my life. 0:02:45.938,0:02:47.792 It was like an irresistible call. 0:02:47.812,0:02:50.202 Two days later, I win this competition, 0:02:50.222,0:02:53.588 and thanks to my sponsor's incentive,[br]I'm able to finance my first trip 0:02:53.598,0:02:57.957 to go dive with orcas in the[br]north of Norway a year later. 0:02:58.377,0:03:04.682 This first expedition in 1998 was[br]followed by a long series of others, 0:03:04.702,0:03:07.963 21 seasons without interruption[br]during which I accumulated 0:03:07.973,0:03:10.974 more than 6,000 underwater[br]encounters closest to orcas. 0:03:11.024,0:03:13.360 This experience has enabled[br]me to design a method 0:03:13.370,0:03:17.884 to approach and interact with them[br]respectfully that is a reference today. 0:03:18.214,0:03:22.507 I've dedicated most of my time 0:03:22.517,0:03:26.794 to the study of orcas' social[br]behavior and body language. 0:03:28.072,0:03:31.114 This presentation [br]refers to "singing orcas" 0:03:31.124,0:03:34.320 but I made my first underwater[br]recording only in 2016. 0:03:34.340,0:03:39.450 It was near Tromsø in Kaldfjord, 0:03:40.693,0:03:43.425 and it was a magical moment. 0:03:43.777,0:03:49.293 During the day just before the test,[br]we observed dozen of humpback whales 0:03:49.300,0:03:52.672 and several hundreds orcas[br]that moved in the middle of the fjord 0:03:52.682,0:03:54.649 close to our anchoring. 0:03:54.659,0:03:59.988 At nightfall, we took our aluminium craft 0:03:59.998,0:04:02.467 and we went to the site. 0:04:03.437,0:04:05.765 The atmosphere was a bit special. 0:04:05.785,0:04:07.733 There was no wind[br]which it's pretty rare. 0:04:07.743,0:04:09.895 The fjord's surface resembled a mirror, 0:04:09.905,0:04:12.617 and we could see on each side[br]of this narrow fjord, 0:04:12.637,0:04:14.341 the snow on the mountains. 0:04:14.351,0:04:16.714 It was a rather breathtaking moment. 0:04:16.734,0:04:20.823 So we stopped the engine[br]and I immersed my hydrophone 0:04:20.829,0:04:23.816 in the most absolute silence[br]at a dozen meters deep. 0:04:23.826,0:04:26.035 A hydrophone is an underwater microphone 0:04:26.055,0:04:29.665 that allows you to record[br]sounds while listening to them. 0:04:31.705,0:04:35.913 I connected the speaker, and then ... 0:04:36.253,0:04:38.319 Well, come with me on the boat. 0:04:39.079,0:04:41.253 (Songs of orcas and humpback whales) 0:04:59.363,0:05:03.023 A startling and perfectly orchestrated[br]melody rised from the dephts. 0:05:03.096,0:05:06.233 I was overwhelmed[br]by the beauty of these songs. 0:05:06.263,0:05:09.062 Our boat was at the interface[br]between two worlds, 0:05:09.072,0:05:11.565 the orcas' world and[br]their secrets under the surface, 0:05:11.580,0:05:13.255 and the sky and the stars above us. 0:05:13.265,0:05:16.347 In the magic of the moment, I imagined[br]these two worlds connected 0:05:16.357,0:05:21.229 and what connected these spaces[br]was the songs coming from the depths. 0:05:22.194,0:05:26.115 The northern lights started[br]just above our heads. 0:05:26.651,0:05:29.133 The singing increased[br]in intensity and harmony. 0:05:29.463,0:05:32.537 (Songs of orcas and whales) 0:05:41.317,0:05:45.182 Each orca, each humpback whale[br]was playing its own partition 0:05:45.192,0:05:48.732 in what I called later[br]"The abyss's symphony". 0:05:48.752,0:05:51.417 But above all, what was happening[br]was going far beyond this. 0:05:51.427,0:05:54.090 It was not just an harmonious[br]melody pleasant to the ear, 0:05:54.110,0:05:57.769 I felt enveloped,[br]permeated by those songs. 0:05:57.787,0:05:59.450 I felt a wave of energy, 0:05:59.460,0:06:03.837 the same energy that flows[br]when I dive in the vicinity of orcas. 0:06:06.733,0:06:11.666 While I dedicated all these years[br]to the sole study of orcas' body language, 0:06:11.686,0:06:14.623 I missed something important. 0:06:15.852,0:06:20.033 I realized that evening of December 2016 0:06:20.043,0:06:23.631 that sounds are of vital[br]importance in orcas' lives, 0:06:23.641,0:06:27.097 and that that was where[br]we needed to direct our research. 0:06:28.517,0:06:32.356 A few weeks after the end[br]of the season in March 2017, 0:06:32.376,0:06:35.974 I went to Guadeloupe to meet[br]Pierre Lavagne de Castellan. 0:06:35.994,0:06:40.633 Pierre is a bioacoustician[br]and he's the benchmark, 0:06:40.653,0:06:44.139 Mister "Song of whales[br]and sperm whales". 0:06:44.889,0:06:47.161 He's been in that field [br]for more than 30 years. 0:06:47.181,0:06:49.806 During our meetings, Pierre used to say, 0:06:49.826,0:06:52.267 "The message is in the song." 0:06:52.287,0:06:55.053 He'd hammer it like a leitmotiv, 0:06:55.063,0:06:58.940 and I was hanging on[br]his words, saying to myself, 0:06:58.960,0:07:01.917 "But what is this message?[br]What are they saying to each other? 0:07:01.937,0:07:04.553 What are they trying to tell us?" 0:07:04.951,0:07:08.192 I left Guadeloupe with[br]more questions than answers. 0:07:09.354,0:07:13.591 I went back to France and I started[br]to do research on the internet 0:07:13.601,0:07:18.027 to try to understand these concepts. 0:07:18.627,0:07:22.519 I had no knowledge about sound.[br]So I googled "what is a sound?" 0:07:22.526,0:07:26.266 A sound is a wave. Okay.[br]What is a wave? 0:07:26.276,0:07:29.924 A wave is an oscillation[br]through a transfer of energy. 0:07:30.494,0:07:32.105 Okay. 0:07:32.227,0:07:34.360 It's defined by its[br]amplitude, its frequency. 0:07:34.380,0:07:37.563 It can be visualized by a graph. 0:07:37.583,0:07:40.916 There are electromagnetic waves,[br]mechanical waves, 0:07:40.926,0:07:43.034 stationary waves ... 0:07:44.644,0:07:48.778 All of this didn't really speak to me.[br]I didn't see how I could use it. 0:07:48.888,0:07:52.440 But one day, as I am searching[br]about stationary waves, 0:07:52.450,0:07:56.686 I stumble upon the work[br]of Ernst Friedrich Chladni. 0:07:57.366,0:08:03.630 Ernst Friedrich Chladni is an engineer,[br]physicist and musician 0:08:04.300,0:08:09.649 who discovered how to visualize sounds. 0:08:11.479,0:08:15.075 He had the idea to use a copper plate, 0:08:16.235,0:08:17.993 attached to a stand, 0:08:18.003,0:08:21.046 on which he put a thin layer of sand, 0:08:21.056,0:08:25.303 and on the periphery of which[br]he used his violoin bow. 0:08:26.534,0:08:30.141 Look at the result, it's surprising. 0:08:30.551,0:08:32.746 (Video) (Grindings of violin bow) 0:08:38.865,0:08:42.078 In this experiment, we can observe 0:08:42.098,0:08:45.788 that the sand moves[br]on the surface of the plate 0:08:45.798,0:08:47.568 and forms a geometrical figure. 0:08:47.588,0:08:51.349 These geometric patterns are called[br]"Chladni's figures" or "Chladni’s plate". 0:08:51.369,0:08:57.178 Chladni made a whole catalog[br]of several thousands of them 0:08:57.190,0:08:59.171 because what's interesting 0:08:59.191,0:09:04.128 is that each frequency[br]produces a specific image. 0:09:05.038,0:09:07.790 Now where it gets truly exciting 0:09:07.806,0:09:11.686 is when Alexander Lauterwasser, 0:09:11.707,0:09:16.450 who is a German researcher[br]and nature photographer, 0:09:16.471,0:09:21.331 discovered recently that the shape[br]of some living species 0:09:21.351,0:09:24.848 was the exact copy of Chladni's plates. 0:09:25.628,0:09:28.467 On this picture from his book[br]"Water Sound Images," 0:09:28.487,0:09:33.013 we can see a flower with[br]its corresponding Chladni's figure. 0:09:33.343,0:09:36.592 It can also be the back of a turtle, 0:09:36.597,0:09:41.331 or this picture taken under a microscope[br]of the Diatom Arachnoidiscus 0:09:41.351,0:09:43.501 that is the exact copy[br]of the Chladni's figure 0:09:43.521,0:09:46.210 corresponding to[br]5,000 Hertz frequency. 0:09:46.470,0:09:50.057 From his discovery[br]Alexander Lauterwasser theorizes 0:09:50.067,0:09:53.991 "the shape of living beings[br]originates from sound vibrations." 0:09:55.021,0:09:59.532 The shape of living beings[br]originates from sound vibrations. 0:10:01.682,0:10:05.565 A few years before him, Hans Jenny,[br]the Swiss scientist, 0:10:05.575,0:10:10.819 worked on the effects of sound on matter,[br]especially on liquids and semi-liquids. 0:10:10.950,0:10:13.379 Here's one of his experiments. 0:10:24.110,0:10:27.820 We can see that under the effect[br]of a sound vibration, 0:10:27.830,0:10:32.476 this semi-liquid paste that usually sits[br]at the bottom of the speaker 0:10:32.496,0:10:35.807 rises up, sets itself up[br]despite the gravitational force 0:10:35.817,0:10:38.045 and follows specific movements. 0:10:38.065,0:10:43.643 According to Hans Jenny, these movements[br]are not chaotic nor random, 0:10:43.663,0:10:46.188 they are perfectly organized[br]and reproducible. 0:10:46.208,0:10:49.761 When I saw this experiment,[br]I immediately made a connection 0:10:49.766,0:10:53.295 with old pictures that I took[br]of my first expeditions. 0:10:53.770,0:10:58.866 They show a thin liquid film 0:10:58.886,0:11:03.197 that is thrown forward from[br]the orcas' lower jaw while they swim. 0:11:03.227,0:11:06.276 Initially, I paid no attention[br]to these pictures, 0:11:06.296,0:11:10.442 but now I could see a link[br]with Hans Jenny's experiments. 0:11:10.942,0:11:13.105 There is no reason for this phenomenon. 0:11:13.115,0:11:18.127 I asked a hydrodynamic engineer[br]specialized in fluid dynamics. 0:11:18.305,0:11:19.658 According to him, 0:11:19.668,0:11:24.876 these shapes can't exist[br]in the absence of an outside force. 0:11:27.210,0:11:30.492 Could orcas be creating[br]this phenomenon? 0:11:30.534,0:11:34.496 Could orcas be producing this frequency 0:11:34.506,0:11:39.349 that enables them to produce[br]these ephemeral artistic shapes? 0:11:42.839,0:11:45.916 I've been studying orcas since 1998. 0:11:45.946,0:11:48.976 These creatures belong[br]to the cetacean family. 0:11:48.996,0:11:52.188 They have a bigger brain 0:11:52.198,0:11:55.977 that is potentially more powerful, 0:11:55.987,0:11:58.435 more efficient than that of humans. 0:11:58.465,0:12:01.195 They're conscious of themselves[br]and of their surroundings. 0:12:01.215,0:12:03.344 I saw them solve complex problems, 0:12:03.364,0:12:07.614 especially by adapting their hunting[br]strategy depending on circumstances 0:12:07.624,0:12:09.876 in an extremely reactive way. 0:12:10.322,0:12:13.742 They are organized in society, 0:12:13.752,0:12:17.474 in family groups that are led[br]by the oldest female, the matriarch. 0:12:18.254,0:12:22.753 Orcas possess acoustic organs. 0:12:23.380,0:12:26.642 They pass on their knowledge,[br]their culture, their language, 0:12:26.662,0:12:30.568 from generation to generation [br]for millions of years. 0:12:31.066,0:12:34.281 Our civilization is 5,000 years old. 0:12:34.511,0:12:37.955 Our technology has not[br]reached 200 years of age yet. 0:12:43.046,0:12:45.899 We, humans, 0:12:47.579,0:12:49.236 are dominating the world. 0:12:49.276,0:12:52.256 We control almost all of the living. 0:12:52.276,0:12:58.115 We think we know everything,[br]but there's still so much to discover. 0:12:58.379,0:13:04.084 Pierre Lavagne de Castellan, him again,[br]has observed multiple times 0:13:04.095,0:13:07.023 humpback whales[br]getting together in groups 0:13:07.033,0:13:10.555 and giving acoustic[br]massages to each other. 0:13:11.844,0:13:14.112 These recent observations show 0:13:14.122,0:13:19.329 that whales but also dolphins and orcas 0:13:19.339,0:13:24.442 have developed throughout evolution[br]know-hows that enable them to use sounds 0:13:24.462,0:13:28.429 for something other[br]than simple communication. 0:13:30.547,0:13:35.041 I pursue my research[br]with the hope, maybe a bit foolish, 0:13:35.061,0:13:38.012 of understanding these phenomenons 0:13:38.038,0:13:42.774 because what I feel[br]when I dive close to orcas, 0:13:42.794,0:13:45.223 this well-being that I feel, 0:13:45.229,0:13:48.826 is due, in my opinion,[br]to the sounds they produce. 0:13:50.905,0:13:55.414 Our oceans are endangered[br]because of human activities: 0:13:56.211,0:13:59.416 the consequences of climate change, 0:13:59.426,0:14:01.656 noise pollution, chemical pollution, 0:14:01.676,0:14:06.066 overfishing, sea traffic, plastic ... 0:14:06.306,0:14:10.545 It's time to change our habits[br]to reduce these threats. 0:14:11.665,0:14:15.673 Let's save our oceans[br]while we still can. 0:14:16.469,0:14:20.477 Let's protect orcas,[br]this luminous oceanic civilization. 0:14:21.354,0:14:25.218 Let's uncover the secrets[br]of their language. 0:14:25.878,0:14:28.285 We will gain access[br]to their knowledge 0:14:28.305,0:14:31.305 and then, yes, 0:14:32.025,0:14:36.792 we shall be able to heal ourselves[br]with the songs of orcas. 0:14:37.215,0:14:38.703 Thank you. 0:14:38.727,0:14:40.905 (Applause)