The monthly lecture of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society -The secret lives of Sri Lanka’s giants, by Dr. Asha de Vos will be held on July 18 at 6 pm at the Jasmine Hall, BMICH.
Blue whales and sperm whales, the largest baleen and toothed whales in our oceans, spend time off the coastlines of Sri Lanka. Both species lead fascinating lives that we have gradually begun to unravel. Dr. de Vos will speak on a topic that compares and contrasts the two species not only in our waters but also in other ocean basins, all based on her personal experience and extensive research.
Dr. Asha de Vos is the first and only Sri Lankan to have a PhD in Marine Mammal research, the first Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation from Sri Lanka and marine biologist, ocean educator and pioneer of blue whale research within the Northern Indian Ocean. She has degrees from the University of St. Andrews, University of Oxford and the University of Western Australia but escaped academia to establish her own Sri Lankan grown non-profit, Oceanswell. Oceanswell, Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization is home to the well-known ‘Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project’ the first long-term study on blue whales in the region. Asha’s work has led to many key research publications, that are used to inform policy at the local and global level. Her work has also been showcased internationally by Channel 7 Australia, the BBC, the New York Times, CNN, WIRED UK, the New Scientist, TED, Grist, GOOD, Nature and National Geographic.
Admission is free.