Animal Care & Training Internship
Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder welcomes students and recent graduates worldwide to apply for an internship within our Animal Care & Training department. The Animal Care & Training Internship is designed to give participants practical hands on experience with marine mammal care, including participation in all aspects of the daily care & training of our Atlantic bottlenose dolphin population. Interns can expect to work alongside our animal care staff as they progress through a 3-part curriculum, providing the foundation needed to obtain an entry-level position within the field of animal care. The internship culminates in a focus area of the intern's choice, allowing for customized professional development opportunities. During their internship, interns can expect to participate in an array of duties, including but not limited to:
- Assist the Animal Care & Training team with daily operations such as:
- Participating in husbandry care including voluntary slide-outs and hydrations
- Preparing animal diets
- Maintaining facility protocols and sanitary conditions of support areas
- Conducting daily observations of resident population and collecting husbandry data
- Planning and executing enrichment sessions
- Actively participate in the shaping and maintenance of behaviors by assisting trainers with a variety of training sessions
- Act on the frontline of guest relations by delivering educational briefings and fielding questions
- Observe guest interaction sessions and assist staff with facilitating swims
- Participate in a comprehensive lecture series and complete associated quizzes
Internship Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old by the start of the internship
- Must have completed at least 1 semester of college
- Must be willing to accept the position as unpaid
- Must be available for 40 hours per week for a minimum of 12 weeks
- Must submit a hard copy of all application materials before the application deadline
Application Details
Interested applicants should mail the following materials to Bethany Wallace, Intern Coordinator:
- Completed and signed DPMMR Internship Application
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- 2 Letters of Recommendation (Must not be from family or friends)
- Recent Photograph
Mailing Address
Animal Care and Training Intern Coordinator
Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder
31 Corrine Place
Key Largo, Florida 33037
Application Deadlines
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed approximately three months before the start of the internship. To be considered, applicants should submit all materials before the application deadline of the internship session desired.
Session
Tentative Internship Dates
Application Deadlines
Spring
Mid-February thru Mid-May
November 15th
Summer
Mid-May thru Mid-August
February 15th
Fall
Mid-August thru November
May 30th
Winter
December thru February
September 30th
Other Information
The Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder Animal Care & Training internship is designed to be a valuable precursor to a career working with animals. As the internship thoughtfully combines experiential learning with lectures and quizzes, it may also be possible for interns to obtain academic credit. Because each college and university have specific curriculum, interns are required to arrange the conditions of obtaining credit with their degree program prior to commencing their internship. Once accepted, the intern will work with their academic advisor to provide a detailed outline of the agreement highlighting these requirements to the intern coordinators.
DPMMR is located in Key Largo, Florida and accepted interns are expected to provide their own housing. The intern coordinators are happy to assist interns with finding affordable housing arrangements upon request. Interns should expect to maintain financial stability throughout the internship, including rent, transportation, meals, and other expenses.
For all other inquires, please check out the Animal Care & Training FAQs or contact the intern coordinators via email at [email protected]
Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder offers a unique opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, interested in actively participating in cutting edge research in the marine mammalogy field. Areas of discipline include, but are not limited to, husbandry, marine mammal social and physiological development, social dynamics, acoustics, applied behavior analysis, clinical studies, education, and conservation. The DPMMR Research Internship provides participants with the experience needed to pursue careers in behavioral and managed care science through exposure to ongoing research and the acquisition of a more thorough understanding of the scientific process.