Pierre Robert de Latour, ORCA EXPERT, certifications STCW95, CRO, Spearfishing Master, Captain of national french team of spearfishing for 3 years, several times international contests winner in individual and in team categories.
Pierre has started in Orca Expedition as a guest in 1998. He has been the first snorkeler approcahing orcas in Norway in a wetsuit. He included the Orca Norway Crew and has been guiding the dives all the seasons since. His experience allowed him to be one of the best behaviorist and a world class expert about orcas. His lectures are provided in different countries. And his video are seen in many TV programs. Whoever is known today as the "Orca Whisperer" or "orcaman" guides and ensures the safety of the dives in UW close encounter with orcas since 20 years. It is a good plan to follow him underwater. If you can see him, the orcas shouldn't be far…
ON is the lonely USEA ACADEMY dedicated to orcas.
The Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance is a network including several organizations providing the opportunity to snorkel with marine mammals all over the world. The common link between these organization is the respect of wellbeing and wild nature of the marine mammals approached.
A USEA academy is a structure, member of the USEA, allowed to train the future guides (boat drivers, safety divers). USEA academy provides also guided trips
USEA LOGO = quality label
ETHIC and ECOLOGY
Since the pure beginning in 1992, the ORCA NORWAY company (ex stromsholmen) has been guided by an ethic code. The respect of the wellbeing of the orcas and the whales. Our boat drivers are trained to avoid disturbance when they approach the orcas. To get UW close encounters from orcas requires experience and patience.
SERVICES (programme of the expedition)
PRDL, orca expert and international lecturer provides some of his lectures exclusively during orca expeditions:
- Base of USEA
- Snorkeling with orcas in Norway
- Orcas in Norway - Diet and behavior
- Orcas - Worldwide predators
- Orcas - Biology, communication and social structure
- USEA - The network
- Sea and sounds
Science contribution:
ON cooperates with USEA RESEARCH DEPARTMENT
The datas and observations collected during the ORCA EXPEDITION are provided to the USEA RESEACH DEPARTEMENT. They are used for research works published in the highest scientific magazines and participate to a better understanding of the behavior of orcas.
Spontaneous approaches of divers by free-ranging orcas (Orcinus orca): age- and sex-differences in exploratory behaviors and visual laterality
Stéphanie Chanvallon, Catherine Blois-Heulin, Pierre Robert de Latour & Alban Lemasson
Article number: 10922 (2017) Published online:07 September 2017
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-11488-3