In Sénégal, an innovative project uses whale recordings to educate children about environmental protection. The Gestu association (Germes d’Écocitoyens à travers les sciences et les traditions dans les univers d’apprentissage) is spearheading this initiative. Recently, the organization facilitated three sessions in Dakar primary schools, featuring Professor Olivier Adam, a renowned cetacean specialist. We visited the Alieu Samb primary school in Dakar’s Ngor district for one of these captivating introductions to the language of whales.
Mes observations from Dakar reveal a classroom of approximately thirty CM2 students, spellbound, as they listen intently to recordings of a humpback whale. These unique sounds were captured off the coast of Ouakam, Dakar, in 2018 and 2022.
Professor Olivier Adam, from the Sorbonne and a leading expert on cetacean acoustics, explained to the young audience: « These songs, the sounds you just heard, belong to humpback whales. Humpback whales visit Dakar and give birth right here. Their calves are essentially Dakarois! »
For Professor Adam, the importance of popularizing the concept that whales possess a complex language is immense. « I was initially astonished when I recorded whales and discovered they emitted intentional, structured sounds akin to a language, » shared the professor, who traveled from Paris specifically for these interactions with children. « Every time I meet students, children, I feel it’s crucial for them to know this. We must strive to understand our oceans, and that understanding begins with knowing the living species within them. »
The curious youngsters eagerly posed a flurry of questions, inquiring about the number of whale stomachs, the different types of whales, how they give birth, and their diet.
Fanta, 12, expressed her awe, stating that « their song and their way of speaking » left the deepest impression.
Thierry, the CM2 teacher at Alieu Samb school in Ngor, Dakar, emphasized the critical nature of this education about the living world. He recounted his own recent learning: « Without this knowledge, you wouldn’t know, for instance, what I just learned – that a whale can only have one calf per birth. This means it’s a species that, if not protected, could vanish. »
Babacar Sy, an underwater hunter with over 30 years of experience and the individual responsible for recording these Dakar whales, joined the workshop to underscore the urgent need to combat ignorance. He personally observes a daily decline in fish catches. « I was fortunate to experience nature as it once was and to witness its radical transformation. Last year, I caught only five thiofs throughout the entire year. If we continue on this path, one day we’ll speak of thiof to our children, and they’ll ask what it is, because it will no longer exist, » the fisherman lamented. « We are heading into a deep hole. For me, it’s time for people to wake up! »
Two other schools in Dakar also hosted Olivier Adam and his whale recordings. Alongside these sessions, the Gestu association organizes environmental awareness days focused on waste collection, aiming to foster a shift in public attitudes and promote sustainable practices.
