Do you have a single most influential or defining moment when you knew that you wanted to work as a marine researcher?
I cannot pinpoint one exact moment as I have always been obsessed with nature, but on a trip to Africa, I realised my corporate life though financially lucrative was keeping me from pursuing a passion that would enrich my soul. I decided then that the rest of my life needed to be meaningful, resigned my job and returned to Sri Lanka!
Tell us more about the work that you do and how it helps support marine conservation.
Education is my key objective and it has been my wish to focus on sharing my knowledge with school children. I work on the theme of ‘you have to love something if you want to save it’. For example, I use my skills at photography to get the attention and curiosity of readers to entice them to read the associated text and learn about these awe-inspiring animals and the fascinating habitat they live in.
What are the biggest challenges currently faced by marine life and how do we overcome them?
Human beings are the biggest challenge as we unwittingly or sometimes with full knowledge contribute to the destruction of our environment. In many instances ignorance leads to actions that are negative to the environment, marine life and subsequently us. We just don’t realize enough the importance of the fact that the oceans do not need our help as much as we need the oceans for the future survival of generations to come. To overcome this we need to have several programs to raise awareness such as inclusion in school curriculum and information available to decision makers.
What inspired you to write your award winning book “Out of the Blue”?
Clearly it was the lack of available information that became evident with the development of my personal research book. For years I had been studying the subject and seeking out answers and documenting them. It was in 2011 when my work was first seen by peers in the field when Dr Hiran Jayewardene who had heard of my lone research invited me to present my work at the International Symposium on Marine Mammals in the Indian Ocean. From the acknowledgements and feedback I got from my presentation I realized that I had gathered much knowledge and needed to share it for future generations. The only reservation I had about publication of such a book was that whale watching regulations were not in place and so released the book soon after.