ORCA 2013: RETURN TO THE PAYS DES ORQUES

At the end of January, Pierre Robert de Latour set off again for Norway for a new “orcas” expedition. 15 years after his first stay there, 10 years after his first documentary, he is preparing a new shoot for this year, which will focus on the effects of climate change on the species.

1,5 DEGREES MORE AND ALL AT CHANGE

Last year, in the pages of the Mag, we presented a report devoted to Pierre's passion: “diving with orcas in Norway”. Swimming in apnea to meet the killer whales has become for fifteen years an annual meeting that would not be missed for the world. But as he already explained to us, the situation has changed, “the parameters have radically changed. Thus, the population of orcas which resided in October-November in the Tysfjord (Lofoten archipelago - Norway) has almost disappeared there. Decades of animal behavior have been impacted. In 5 years, the images of my first opus are nothing more than “sepia”. the 1.5 ° C rise in fjord waters had measurable effects on herring, the main food source for resident killer whales in the Norwegian Sea. The schools of fish which wintered there fled these waters which are no longer cold enough. They no longer enter the fjords but now remain in the open sea. ”

TURNING TO TESTIFY

In 2003, Pierre shot “Voyage au pays des orques”. This year 'Return to the Land of the Orcas' will reflect the changes that have taken place for the species along the coast of Norway. Still aboard M / S Sula, along with Olav Stromsolm and his team, he sets out to search for killer whales further south and later in the season, when the herrings gather again along the Norwegian coast to migrate to their breeding grounds. . The active phase of the next expedition is therefore scheduled from the end of January to mid-February 2013. Each day, we can also follow their adventures on the internet, via a special Orca2013 page.

MORE DIFFICULT MEETINGS

But outside the fjords, finding the orcs becomes more difficult. “A few years ago,” he explains, “we were sure to go out to sea and meet several families every day. The submarine launches and interactions were almost systematic. Since 2008, we have been looking for the migratory train of herring and trying to reach a pod of killer whales off Nord-Møre. The space is huge! In addition, we are subjected to the climatic vagaries of the harsh winters of the Norwegian Sea which leave us only short windows of time to operate. Seeing the orcas has become a privilege; diving with them, an even more exceptional experience. I hope, he concludes, to bring back images that make you dream while conveying the message of the fragility of our ecosystem on a global scale ”,

THE USEA PROJECT, FOR A RESPECTFUL APPROACH

The Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance Project, the result of Pierre's years of experience in approaching orcas, today formally groups together the rules that govern each meeting: taking into account the "comfort zones" of the animals , respecting their movements, being attentive to their phases of activity. For example, Pierre never approaches a group at rest, and only gets into the water with families who play, hunt or travel. And this is where sometimes the magic happens: "the orca approaches, scrutinizes, scans with its echolocation the human in front of it," says Pierre. Sometimes, a real exchange is created before everyone resumes their journey, returns to their world. "

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE

Since the creation of Orques Sans Frontières, Pierre wanted to share his experience, especially with the youngest, by allowing school children to participate, from afar, in his expeditions. This year, 27 schools will follow ORCA 2013, live or almost, via the internet! The two films will then make it possible to draw a parallel between the years 2003 and 2013, to specify the visible and invisible impacts of this change which took place in just a decade and then to evoke the future prospects. “But beware,” Pierre specifies, without catastrophism or concession. The tone of these meetings is optimistic. The beauty of the environment that we will be showing will be underlined, the idea is to bring the pupils through images to immerse themselves with me in the fascinating world of orcas in Norway. "

To find out if there are still places left to join the expedition, you should contact Pierre Robert de Latour directly. And if it is too late for this year, know that he is already working on an expedition project a little further north for the end of 2013 ... The orcas could well, once again, following the herrings, change their position. road.