MARINE MAMMAL CARE & TRAINING
SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES
The following facilities offer separate programs that can provide you with unique insight into marine mammal care and training. While they are not as in-depth or extensive as internships, they still enable you get a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look into what being a marine mammal trainer is truly like! These kinds of programs are a great way to help you decide if becoming a marine mammal trainer is the right career choice for you, especially if you're not quite ready to dedicate yourself to the time required for a full internship.
Sea World – Trainer for a Day Experience – San Diego, CA
You’ll start in our Behind-the-Scenes Animal Care facility helping with food preparation, morning feedings and area clean-up while learning our training techniques for animal husbandry. The adventure continues at our Rocky Point Preserve attraction. You’ll be educated on dolphin pod structure and socialization tools for young dolphins. After lunch at our Shipwreck Reef Café, you’ll venture over to our Dolphin Interaction facility where you will have an interaction of a lifetime.
http://commerce.4adventure.com/eStore/scripts/skins/swc/AnimalInteractions.aspx
Six Flags - Trainer for a Day Experience - Vallejo, CA
The trainer for a day program takes its lead from the Land and Sea elements, and is divided into a two part eight-hour day where up to four participants will work with elephant and dolphin trainers throughout a normal operating day. Guest trainers will experience a full day of activities that encompass everything from bathing and feeding an elephant to preparing their daily diets. The most fun part for guests is the chance to get in waist-deep water with the dolphins and give the dolphins signals - the next thing you know, you've just signaled a dolphin to jump 10 feet out of the water! They've also been known to give kisses and handshakes!
http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/animals/trainerforaday.aspx
Clearwater Marine Aquarium - Trainer for a Day Experience - Clearwater, FL
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a dolphin trainer? Participants of our Trainer for a Day program are given the opportunity to "shadow" our professional trainers through three hours of food preparation, animal enrichment, exhibit maintenance and record keeping. Participants will assist CMA trainers poolside through two training and feeding sessions with our Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and one training and feeding session with our North American River Otters. This program is geared toward individuals who may want to pursue marine mammal training as a career and is therefore limited to two participants to ensure an individual experience.
http://ded183-lin-79-183.netsonic.net/~admin164/cms/index.php?page=animal-encounters-2
Dolphin Connection - Trainer for a Day Experience – Duck Key, FL
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a dolphin trainer? This 3-hour program is a dolphin lover’s dream come true! Jump right in to the daily activities of the Dolphin Connection animal training team, with ample opportunities to connect with our dolphin family. You’ll take home a t-shirt, certificate, and personal photo with a dolphin to commemorate this warm welcome into the wonderful world of dolphins!
http://www.dolphinconnection.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=29
Dolphin Research Center - Trainer for a Day Experience – Grassy Key, FL
In Trainer for a Day, one of our experienced Animal Care and Training staff members teaches you about animal training techniques and how we use them with the DRC pod. You'll be paired with a trainer throughout the day-long journey. See how we prepare meals in the Fish House and assist during various behavioral sessions.
http://www.dolphins.org/visit_get_wet.php#TRAINER
Dolphin Research Center - Researcher for a Day Experience – Grassy Key, FL
When you arrive, research staff members, who will serve as your teammates and teachers, meet you to begin the experience. A researcher's day is never boring and always busy, so come prepared to get to work right away! Throughout the day, you'll participate in a variety of sessions, with personalized instruction and hands-on responsibilities. Go behind the scenes to learn how to schedule sessions, compile data and prepare the test questions. Get inside information, depending on the stage of a particular study.
http://www.dolphins.org/visit_get_wet.php#RESEARCHER
Sea World – Advanced Career Camp Experience – Orlando, FL
Prepare yourself for the limitless rewards and challenging responsibilities of a career working with animals. Work and play in the world's most amazing classroom, and learn from SeaWorld's most knowledgeable experts.
http://www.swbg-adventurecamp.com/adventure-camps/swf/resident/camps/advanced-career-camp.htm
Shedd Aquarium - Trainer for a Day Experience – Chicago, IL
Learn what it really takes to be a trainer at Shedd! Trainer for a Day allows participants to don rubber boots and get closer than ever with belugas, dolphins and sea lions, giving them the opportunity to truly know what it’s like to care for marine mammals. Participants shadow a marine mammal trainer to assist with daily routines and experience several training/feeding sessions from the perspective of a Shedd trainer. This behind-the-scenes opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
http://sheddaquarium.org/adult_programlistings.html
The Mirage Habitat - Trainer for a Day Experience – Las Vegas, NV
The day starts out with a private tour of our facility and a brief orientation in how you can make the most of your day. During that time we will offer you a fruit and pastry breakfast and suit you up into a wet suit. From there, you go out and meet the dolphins. You will get the opportunity to play with the dolphins, train them, feed them and often times get into the water up to waist level with the dolphins. Mid-day we will take a break for a gourmet three course lunch served to you on a private secluded patio overlooking the dolphin habitat.
http://www.miragehabitat.com/pages/dolphin_tfad.asp