Dr Asha de Vos is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator, pioneer of long-term blue whale research within the Northern Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s first deep sea explorer, and strong advocate for diversity and equity in marine conservation. She is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Oceans Institute of the University of Western Australia. She has degrees from the University of St. Andrews, the University of Oxford and the University of Western Australia but escaped academia to establish her own Sri Lankan-grown non-profit, Oceanswell – Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization. Asha and her work have been showcased internationally by various media outlets, including BBC, the New York Times, TED and National Geographic. Amongst her most exciting and notable accolades, Asha is the first Sri Lankan woman to have her portrait hung at Oxford University. She also has a deck on the MV Sylvia Earle cruise ship named after her.