Whale Guardian

The first time Asha de Vos saw a blue whale, she was a recent college graduate conducting research on a ship in the Indian Ocean, near her home country of Sri Lanka. In the distance, she spotted a spray of mist being released from a whale’s blowhole at the top of its head as it exhaled. It turned out to be not one but six blue whales—each almost the length of a basketball court! The encounter kick-started de Vos’s career studying these majestic, endangered giants—the most massive animals thought to have ever lived on Earth (although a fossil whale discovered last year may challenge that title).

Today de Vos is a marine biologist leading the longest-running project studying the behavior and distribution of blue whales in the northern Indian Ocean. She’s also the founder of Oceanswell, Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation organization. Science World caught up with de Vos to learn about her work.

When scientists travel to less-developed countries to conduct research, they often don’t invest in or work with the local science community. They drop in, do work, and then leave. This is sometimes called “parachute science.” But local experts have a lot of knowledge about conservation issues that impact their lives, as well as solutions. Including them is important.

Seventy percent of ocean coastlines are in the developing world, but scientific representation from these parts of the world is small. That’s another reason it’s important to have local scientists involved in decision-making for conservation and research. In my own research and my work through Oceanswell, I try to give opportunities to young South Asians in the hopes of fostering the next generation of marine scientists. Every coastline needs a local hero.