Marine Biologist Asha de Vos and the Unorthodox Whales of Sri Lanka

Growing up as an aspiring marine scientist in Sri Lanka, Asha de Vos didn't have any local role models – other than sci-fi writer/scuba diver Arthur C. Clarke. At times she's had to make her own way with a combination of persistence, pig-headedness and duct tape. That hasn't stopped her from becoming an expert on a population of “unorthodox” blue whales and a noted ocean conservationist. We talked about Asha's path to ocean science, her defining moment (involving whale poop), the wonders of cetology, her efforts to protect whales from ship collisions, and how she's inspiring a new generation of marine biologists.