"........in 1998, when I was, for the first time meeting the orcas of Norway, it was a little bite as if I had dived inside my dream of child. I had the privilege to penetrate their intimacy, the chance to see this hunter so much dreaded evolving in his element, savage and free. What was to be the result of a sporting career became the beginning of a new life. Since, I come back each year in the archipelago of Lofoten to swim with these attractive predators. These unforgettable meetings also allowed me to meet scientists working in the field of the cetology. They convinced me of the importance of an original study. Together we have decide…ORCA 2003

ORCA 2003 is the name of a draft study of behavior of the resident killer whales of the sea of Norway. The operational base of project ORCA 2003 will be Svolvaer, village of 3 500 inhabitants located in the archipelago of Lofoten at the north of Norway. The area of observation of the orcas extends from Vestfjord in Tysfjord and Ofotfjord. This project inclued 2 parts: one observatory, other teaching and educational . The characteristic of this project is that we will use the scenes recorded by a free diver with an underwater camera to get new informations on the behavior of the orcas under surface. The data thus collected could be important for the advance of our knowledge on this specy very difficult to observe. ORCA 2003 proposes to explore with good lucks of success a process of observation of the moving Cetaceans . This new informations enables us to hope for significant projections in our knowledge and our comprehension of their their social organization and communication system. We will apply this process to the study of the interactions with the human activities. Last trip on the site of Svolvaer, we noted that some professionals practising the "Whale watching" adopted a rough approach of the groups of orcas with their boats, thus obstructing the animals in their vital activities (drives out, phase of socialization, play and rest). One of our actions on the spot will be to sensitize these professionals on the misdeeds caused by too direct approaches and to propose to them an alternative by a method of more respectful approach of the needs for the animals which will remain compatible with their interests.

The second part of forwarding will be a convention on a teaching program associating project ORCA 2003 to classes of school pupils of establishments of primary education teaching and secondary of the county. Supported by the General Council of the county and adopted by the school inspectorate administration, this program lies within a more general scope of sensitizing to the environmental protection, will relate to the knowledge of biology and the sociology of the orcas, his environment, will specify his place and his role in the marine ecosystem. We will use our Internet site during the active phase like mean of communication with the pupils and the teachers.

knowing the orca, understanding his way of life is also to obtain an image in" live "of the quality of the ecosystem in which it saw in order to protect it more effectively.

To be partner of ORCA 2003, it is to support public interest initiative for the safeguard of this emblematic species and, overall, for the environmental protection.

To be partner of ORCA 2003, it is also to take part in an wonderfull adventure in the "country of the orcas".

Pierre ROBERT of LATOUR