Asha de Vos

Happy 100th birthday Sir David Attenborough!!! It’s surreal to find myself amongst a handful of people from across the world to be featured in David Attenborough’s birthday wish that was played on a giant screen at his birthday celebration at Royal Albert Hall and televised live across the UK on BBC! I'm honoured, so deeply honoured to be part of this historic moment to celebrate someone who has changed the way we celebrate nature forever. When the @bbc invited me, I thought they had asked thousands of people and were just making a little something for him to watch in the quiet of his home while sipping a hot chocolate on a cold day. Little did I realise that I was just one ofa handful asked and that I would appear amongst the likes of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres; actress Cate Blanchett; principal curator, Natural History Museum Miranda Lowe; broadcaster Louis Theroux; wildlife content creator Kyle Thomas; musician Camila Cabello; broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh; actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge; musician Nile Rodgers; and actor Leonardo Di Caprio. Thank you to everyone who watched and sent me excited messages - friends, family, parents of friends who knew we knew each other and so many more! Thank you Thirun for sending me this recording! Please enjoy this clip!!!!

Pre-orders for the limited edition Whale Shark Pendant officially open from 9th May 2026 via the CJS Online Store. Created in collaboration with Dr. Asha de Vos and Oceanswell, this meaningful piece continues a shared commitment towards supporting Sri Lanka’s marine conservation efforts. Meticulously crafted in sterling silver, this limited collection of 100 individually numbered Whale Shark Pendants serves as a lasting symbol of purpose, conservation, and the protection of the ocean’s gentle giants. Priced at LKR 35,000, with 100% of proceeds supporting Oceanswell’s research and conservation initiatives. The pendant will be officially launched on World Oceans Day, Monday, 8th June 2026. Reservations and pre-orders can be made exclusively through the CJS online store from 9th May 2026 onwards: CJS Online Store Please note: orders are currently open only within Sri Lanka. Overseas shipping will not be available at this time. Terms and Conditions Apply

Really pleased to have been invited to contribute to this incredible special issue of @oceanographic_mag X @nektonmission that brings some of the most powerful voices for our ocean together. The whole short essay is here for you to read, but my take home message is, the ocean has given me so much but it has taught me much more about the inequities in our planet which is why I do everything in my power to push for change. It's exhausting, but someone has to do it! Please read and share! Thanks to @nektonmission and @oceanographic_mag for recognising the power in my voice and adding me to the lineup!

The whale shark, often mistaken for a whale, is in fact the largest fish in the ocean, growing to extraordinary sizes by filter-feeding on the smallest forms of life. Its eyes are uniquely protected by tiny dermal denticles - teeth like structures designed to protect their eyes in the absence of eyelids. Gracefully moving through Sri Lankan waters, these gentle giants are instantly recognisable by their immense scale and constellation-like markings, serving as a reminder of the beauty and fragility of our oceans. In collaboration with Dr. Asha de Vos and Oceanswell, Colombo Jewellery Stores presents a meaningful pendant where design meets conservation. A strictly limited collection of 100 individually numbered pendants has been created, with 100% of proceeds supporting Oceanswell’s vital marine research and conservation initiatives. The pendant will be officially launched on World Oceans Day, Monday, 8th June 2026. Pre-orders open from 9th May 2026. Reserve your pendant before the official launch exclusively via www.cjs.lk Online Reservations. Own a symbol of purpose. Wear a story that protects the ocean. #limitededitionpendant #limitededition #whaleshark #cjs #colombojewellerystores

Dr Asha de Vos, Founder and Executive Director of Oceanswell, invites you all to join us this weekend for “Into the Ocean’s Depths” event. Registration is FREE and mandatory. Hurry up and register now as limited seats are available. On-site registration will not be available. Please make sure to register before 8th May 2026. Click the link in bio to register now! This event is presented by Oceanswell, in partnership with Save Our Seas Foundation and @aitkenspencetravels

Meet the Speakers 🌊 We’re bringing together five incredible voices over two days-each sharing unique perspectives and stories from the ocean and its incredible creatures. Swipe to discover more about each speaker. Registration is FREE and open to the public. Join us at “Into the Ocean’s Depths” for an inspiring journey beneath the surface on the 9th and 10th of May at the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka Auditorium from 6PM – 8PM. Hurry up and register now via the link in our bio - limited seats available and pre-registration is required This event is presented by Oceanswell, in partnership with Save Our Seas Foundation and @aitkenspencetravels

Two of my three books are now available at Sarasavi Nugegoda - but stocks are limited! My third - kids book - will be on their shelves soon! For anyone aboard, you can buy the books online on Amazon and other platforms and also check your local bookstores! Quick update: Both books are also available at @barefootceylon as of today!

Love seeing our people show up like this. Not just pushing yourself.But helping others find their way too. @ashadevos at @ironman70.3colombo

Proud to be showcased as part of The University of Western Australia’s campaign ‘highlighting the remarkable people in our community who are shaping the future in powerful, tangible ways’. If you live in Western Australia look out for me in your bus stands or taking up a whole page in the post, or anywhere else people seeking inspiration may look! Here are 4 fun facts about this cool poster! Fun fact 1: I completed my PhD in 2014 but completely forgot to register to graduate (admittedly I went directly into a post doc in end 2013 and then moved home to start @oceanswellorg ). The date on this poster reflects the date I finally remembered that I had to sign up for a graduation ceremony to get my scroll (even in absentia). Fun fact 2: I graduated from the School of Environmental Engineering with a PhD focused on marine mammal research. Studying oceanography stretched me in ways I couldn’t imagine but it was an incredible experience! Fun fact 3: I am now an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute. Fun fact 4: Years after graduating, every University I have attended has celebrated me. What I have learned is that it’s not the grade you got while there that really matters, it’s what you do with your experience and how you use it to create impact and change the world. In 2018 I won the @studyuk_britishcouncil professional achievement award at the regional and global levels highlighting my association with both @uniofstandrews and @oxford_uni . Subsequently I became the first Sri Lankan woman to have her portrait hung at Oxford University. Am I proud of my journey? You bet I am! Am I done yet? Absolutely not! @starshipuwa @uwaoceans

FS13: Day 17 aka Day last! Silvery seas, clouds and the heavy rain last night felt ominous but the day opened up with some spinners and then we found a bye bye Bryde’s whale before catching up with some feeding bottlenose dolphins! Today I share about associations between dolphins and fishers and tuna - why it happens and what not and then talk about the last day antics before wrapping go with a final thank you to everyone who has joined us this season! Another cracking one in the books!

FS13: Day 16 200 spinner dolphins doing their thing in travel mode today. Always a pleasure to see them! Had a can't Bowriding with it's mama too! Today's discussion covered a lot of things from if you can go from material science and engineering to marine science to matriarchs of the marine mammal world. How to support our work, where to buy our mercchandise (drop a message to @oceanswellorg ) and a host more stuff! Come back for our last day tomorrow!

We were thrilled to have the Vet Unit of the Department of Wildlife Conservation on board with us last Saturday as we continue out ongoing partnerships. Over the last two years we have supported the delivery of a necropsy workshop in collaboration with the International Whaling Commission with funding from the OCPP and we also ran a cetaceans ID workshop. To supplement this I produced the most comprehensive Whale and Dolphin Identification guide (available at @oceanswellorg ) possible to support their incredible efforts on the ground especially during stranding events. As part of our efforts to ensure this hard working team is well equipped to work with marine mammals across the island, we invited them on the water to observe some live animals and talk them through behaviours, threats and potential future pathways. We also invited Prof Kavindra from the Peradeniya University Vet Faculty to join us given our mutual long-standing desire to build a marine mammal programme at the uni, but sadly he was unable to do join so we accomdated two of his students onboard. All in all we had a great day with sightings of spinner dolphins and Risso’s dolphins and a lot of questions answered. Excitingly we also spotted the first pelagics of the season - 4 pomarine skuas and a shearwater. Happily sent this good news to the seabird community - who had alerted us to the possibility and we're suitably excited about the sighting! Looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with the Vet Unit of DWC and the Vet Faculty of the University of Peradeniya.