During our residency, residents are provided with a comprehensive contact list of professionals, practitioners, and experts in our field, that they can build upon. This network became a vital resource, helping us to facilitate valuable external interventions and deepen our understanding of the theme at hand.

We organised various sessions with guest speakers who shared their specialised knowledge and provided insights on key topics related to our work. These interventions were integral to enriching the experience and contributing to the ongoing dialogue within the residency.

Among the highlights were discussions and workshops led by professionals who offered expertise in cetaceans in the Mediterranean and in making documentaries, enhancing the interdisciplinary approach of our project, including the following:

• Denis Ody - Scientist and whale expert, WWF

• Sebastien Personnic - Biologist, diver & underwater photographer

• Alain Barcelo & Louise Freyburger - National Park of Port-Cros

• Hervé Glotin - Head of the Research and Teaching chair in Artificial Intelligence "Advanced Machine Listening for Bioacoustic and Subsea”, University of Toulon

• Anne-Marie Sorba - Documentary filmmaker, Fred Hilgemann films

Additionally, we organised a special visit to a Miraceti event in Saint-Maxime, which focused on high-quality whale watching practices. This unique opportunity allowed us to gain first-hand experience and further our understanding of sustainable marine tourism and conservation efforts in this field.