Sri Lanka is truly a land full of wonders, and Asha de Vos is proof of that. Her journey from Colombo to becoming one of the world’s leading marine biologists is nothing short of inspiring. And guess what? It all started with whale poop! Yes, you heard that right.
Back in 2003, Asha was on a research vessel near Sri Lanka when she spotted six blue whales and a bright red plume of whale waste spreading across the water. “Seeing whale poop, colored red thanks to the whale’s diet, was the first clue that Sri Lanka’s blue whales don’t migrate between feeding and breeding areas,” she recalls. This moment challenged everything she had learned about blue whales migrating long distances. It turned out that our blue whales stay right here, year-round, in the waters between Sri Lanka, Oman, and the Maldives.
This discovery led Asha to spend years studying how our blue whales are different. They feast on shrimp instead of krill, they have unique songs, and most importantly, they are the only nonmigratory blue whales in the world. Thanks to her research, the International Whaling Commission recognized Sri Lanka’s blue whales as a distinct subspecies called Balaenoptera musculus indica.
This distinction is vital for conservation. As retired whale biologist Phillip Clapham explains, “Small, localized populations — like the one in Sri Lanka — face higher risks of being wiped out in the face of environmental or human threats, such as deep-sea mining.”
Fast forward to today, and Asha de Vos is one of Sri Lanka’s most renowned scientists. She’s not just known for her research but also for how she nurtures Sri Lanka’s marine biology scene and champions diversity in ocean conservation. She’s received global recognition, including being named a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow, and one of BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2018. But as Asha says, “I’m driven by trying to make a change… I want people to fall in love with the ocean… to recognize the ocean as this incredible space that is life-giving in so many ways.”
Growing up in Colombo, just a mile from the ocean, Asha’s early memories of the sea were filled with fear. In Sri Lanka, the ocean was seen as “a big beast” to avoid unless you were fisherfolk. “There were often stories of drownings that came with people who went to sea,” she says. Most Sri Lankans never learn to swim, and for many, life ends at the shoreline.
But Asha’s mother sent her for swim lessons, and soon, she was competing in freestyle sprint events. Her real love for the ocean came from secondhand National Geographic magazines her father brought home. “It was just the pictures that really drew me in,” she says.
By 17, Asha had set her sights on marine biology, but no Sri Lankan universities offered it. Undeterred, she applied abroad and even talked her way into the University of St. Andrews in Scotland after just missing the required grades. “I called [the university] and said, ‘Look, I really want to come to your school. I know I’m capable,’” she recalls with a laugh.
Her journey spanned three continents, including a Ph.D. in Australia and a postdoc in the U.S., which she completed in 2015. But it wasn’t always easy. “There’s no scope in this country for a marine biologist,” people told her. Even today, some Sri Lankans question her career choices. Once, a fisherman asked her what her husband thought about her being out in the sun. When she said she wasn’t married, he replied, “I thought as much.”
Asha didn’t let any of this stop her. “I was like, ‘OK, whatever. I’ll show you,’” she says. Her determination made her who she is today. Clapham, one of her Ph.D. examiners, describes her as “a force of nature” and “simply relentless.”
In 2008, Asha launched the Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project. “We have the longest running dataset of blue whales in this part of the world,” she says. But their numbers have been fluctuating, and she and her team are working to understand why. Limited by their vessels, they can only search a small part of the ocean.
Asha’s work goes beyond whales; she also surveys deep-sea biodiversity to protect the ecosystem. “I work with whales and that’s my primary love. But the whales need a perfectly healthy ecosystem,” she explains.
One of her biggest successes? Raising awareness about ship strikes. In 2012, she highlighted how busy shipping routes threatened our blue whales. This led to a major win in 2022 when the Mediterranean Shipping Company agreed to slow down and take a more southerly route to protect the whales.
Through her nonprofit, Oceanswell, Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization, Asha works to create “ocean heroes.” She wants to inspire Sri Lankans to love and protect the sea. “My whole goal is to create love for the ocean and remove the fear,” she says.
Asha is also deeply involved in education. She helps universities design marine biology programs and mentors aspiring marine scientists. One such student, Lasuni Gule Godage, credits Asha with guiding her fieldwork and supporting her career. “Dr. Asha supported me so much,” she says.
Asha believes in sharing everything she knows. “My goal is to give away everything, whether it’s my knowledge or tips on how to do something better,” she says. “I always tell people when I die, I don’t want everything [I’ve done] to end.”
Sri Lanka is lucky to have such an amazing advocate for its ocean and marine life. Asha de Vos proves that with passion and perseverance, anything is possible!