Recently, Asha was recognized for her relentless efforts: she was awarded a Maxwell-Hanrahan Foundation Award in Field Biology. The Maxwell-Hanrahan Foundation invests in individual scientists, teachers, conservationists, and creators whose diverse perspectives enable us to discover new things about ourselves and our world.
In particular, Asha’s research focuses on the unique blue whale population in Sri Lanka. Her thorough and in-depth exploration of these whales has unraveled much about them while shattering stereotypes of blue whale behaviours. Reflecting about her selection as one of the award winners, de Vos said, “This is by far one of the greatest moments in my career and I am deeply humbled to have been selected alongside a group of stellar scientists, and I am honored to stand alongside them as we learn, bring diverse perspectives to our work and share it with the world. It just goes to show that you never know who is watching, so you always just have to do your best work and keep going.”
Asha was also honored as Scubadiving Magazine’s recent “Sea Hero” for her efforts to preserve Sri Lanka’s blue whales, and for her efforts in training her country’s next generation of marine and citizen scientists.
When asked about her views on the greatest challenge in marine conservation today, she expressed that “Most people have no connection to the ocean […] As marine conservationists we need to work harder to engage people with these spaces and inspire them to fall in love with the ocean and its inhabitants.”
Her passion and commitment towards creating a sense of connection between people and oceans have not only been expressed through her words, but also through her conscious and concrete efforts, making de Vos a strong, passionate, and important voice in the marine conservation arena.
