Marine Mammal Internship Database

**NEWS UPDATE: We are acquiring several more intern bloggers for Project Blog! Feel free to follow them through their internships as each progresses to get an insider's look at all the hard work and dedication that it really takes!**

Welcome to the Marine Mammal Internship Database! Yes, it’s a long and arduous road getting your foot in the door to becoming a marine mammal trainer, but with enough determination you can definitely make it happen. One of your first major steps to success is in gaining practical, real life experience working with marine mammals. You will need to learn all about the daily tasks associated with the care of such fascinating creatures, in addition to the techniques used in daily training sessions. The best way to accomplish this is by completing a hands-on internship that allows you to immerse yourself in the everyday work involved in the field. "But where can I apply for an internship?”, you ask? The answer is right here! This database contains the names of marine mammal facilities and their location, brief descriptions of each internship program, and links to the official website — all for a wide variety of facilities around the United States. Due to growing demand, the database is also steadily being expanded to include Non-U.S. facilities!
Please keep in mind that many of the programs and facilities in this database…

• require that you either be in college or a recent college graduate (a select few will also accept high school students).
• require certain things like SCUBA certification or to be able to pass a swim test.
• have a variable time schedule, ranging from a week to many months at a time!
• offer a variety of other unique internships, other than the ones listed here.
• also maintain a volunteer program in which you can gain experience!

Another important consideration is that there are a lot of zoos and facilities where you can complete an animal care/training internship involving different species of animals (not just marine mammals). Keep in mind that ANY animal experience will allow you to gain valuable knowledge in working toward your career goal. However, you will eventually need to have gained experience with actual marine mammals if you want to become a marine mammal trainer! Fortunately, that part of the research has also been done for you! All of the programs listed in this database provide an opportunity to work with one or more marine mammal species. Only brief descriptions for each program are provided, but you can click on the link to each facility's website for more detailed information on their specific program.

Best of luck to you!

VISIT "PROJECT BLOG!" TO GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT INTERNSHIPS!

Don't feel like you're ready to participate in a full-time internship yet?
Then perhaps you should browse some of the various shadowing opportunities or career courses that are available!
Just click the links for more information.


- Last updated on 6/23/2008 -