The Whale Museum is hiring for two seasonal positions with the Marine Mammal Response Program (formerly the Stranding Network) for Summer 2026! We are seeking a part-time Program Assistant for 12 weeks and a full-time intern for 11 weeks!
The Whale Museum’s Marine Mammal Response Program: Summer 2026 Program Assistant
I. POSITION DESCRIPTION:
This program assistant position will assist year-round staff of The Whale Museum’s Marine Mammal Response Program (TWMMMRP) with efforts to provide coverage for all marine mammal stranding calls in San Juan County (SJC), Washington State. SJC comprises over
734 rocks and islands visible at high tide, with a total shoreline of approximately 400 miles. Many of these islands are uninhabited and accessible only by private vessel. Pinniped strandings account for approximately 90% of all responses, most occurring during
harbor seal pupping season from June through August. Each year, TWMMMRP receives around 150 reports/year and conducts necropsies and collects Level A data for all calls when possible. The program is overseen by The Whale Museum’s Research Director with daily
duties directed by the TWMMMRP Coordinator.
The seasonal assistant will assist the TWMMMRP Coordinator in all duties such as: responding to calls by truck or vessel, necropsies, data entry, sample management, lab inventory, and being on-call. They will also be trained in large whale disentanglement and
pinniped capture. The ideal candidate will have all the required qualifications and some combination of the preferred and desired qualifications. The candidate will be based on San Juan Island and will be contracted for 20 hours per week for a period of 16
weeks starting May or June 2026. Weekend and holiday work will be required.
II. KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Assist with daily TWMMMRP operations, including: monitoring the stranding hotline for reports, conducting health assessments of live seal pups in the field, tagging live harbor seals that are not collected for rehabilitation, transferring injured pups to a
local rehabilitation center, surveying and documenting entangled animals, conducting Level A examinations of stranded marine mammals, driving the program’s 21’ Munson landing craft (catamaran hull, twin outboard).
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Assist with necropsies of fresh dead marine mammals including: transferring carcasses to the lab space, setting-up, and taking down necropsy supplies, note-taking, photography, prosecting, organizing, archiving and shipping biological samples
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Data entry
-
Assist with equipment maintenance
-
Involvement in education and outreach
-
Communicating with a volunteer network of approximately 60 people
III. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
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Applicant must be willing to relocate to San Juan Island, WA for the duration of the position. All TWMMMRP equipment is stored on San Juan Island.
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Familiarity with handling small vessels in dynamic conditions
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Adaptability and flexibility
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Ability to work in a dynamic environment and communicate empathically with others
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The drive to learn skills to become a competent field biologist with the goal of applying the skills learned in a future related position
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Proficiency in English
IV. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-
Basic photography skills
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Data entry skills
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Ability to move up to 30 lbs
V. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
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Experience with public communication and conflict resolution
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Experience working with animals
OTHER POSITION DETAILS:
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Pay: $25/hr, 20 hrs/week, 12 weeks
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The Program Assistant will be responsible for responding to stranding reports with other TWMMMRP staff and/or volunteers. The waterways around the San Juan Islands are extremely variable depending on weather, tides, and other factors. You must be comfortable
aboard a small vessel.
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TWMMMRP is a research program of The Whale Museum (TWM). Our office is housed at TWM in the heart of Friday Harbor and lab space is at UW’s Friday Harbor Labs 2 miles away.
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The community in the San Juans care deeply about the marine wildlife so you will often find yourself in sensitive situations when handling stranded animals. Sometimes TWMMMRP decisions are met with dissatisfaction, questioning, or anger at our action/inaction
in specific cases (e.g. leaving an abandoned pup on a beach where it will likely die). You must be prepared to learn how to manage these interpersonal situations with empathy and confidence. You will always be able to refer the public to TWMMMRP Coordinator
or TWM Research Director.
-
You do not need previous animal handling experience to apply for this position, but you must care about the conservation and research of marine species and be motivated to pursue a career in science or conservation. TWMMMRP recognizes the challenges in acquiring
many of the skills required for early-career positions and aims to make this position as open as possible.
TO APPLY:
Please send the following documents attached as one (1) PDF file to research@whalemuseum.org with the subject “[your last name] Summer 2026 TWMMMRP Program Assistant”
by March 13 2026. Application review will begin immediately.
1. Your CV or resume
2. A personal statement (1 page max) including:
-
Why you are interested in the position
-
Why you would be a valuable asset to our team
-
How you meet the required qualifications and any other qualifications or experiences you wish to expand upon
3. A list of 3 professional references
-
Include their name, email, and title
The Whale Museum’s Marine Mammal Response Program: Summer 2026 Internship
I. POSITION DESCRIPTION:
This internship position will assist year-round staff of The Whale Museum’s Marine Mammal Response Program (TWMMMRP) with efforts to provide coverage for all stranded or in-distress marine mammal calls in San Juan County (SJC), Washington State. SJC comprises
over 734 rocks and islands visible at high tide, with a total shoreline of approximately 400 miles. Many of these islands are uninhabited and accessible only by private vessel. Pinniped strandings account for approximately 90% of all responses, most occurring
during harbor seal pupping season from June through August. Each year, TWMMMRP receives around 150 reports/year and conducts necropsies and collects Level A data for all calls when possible. The program is overseen by The Whale Museum’s Research Director with
daily duties directed by the TWMMMRP Coordinator.
The intern will support the TWMMMRP Coordinator in duties such as responding to calls by truck or vessel, conducting necropsies, crewing the response vessel, data entry, sample management, lab inventory, and being on-call to field hotline calls. Training in
pinniped capture and large whale disentanglement will also be provided. The ideal candidate will have the required qualifications and some combination of the preferred and desired qualifications. This role is based on San Juan Island, requiring 40 hours per
week for a period of 11 weeks, beginning June 2026, with weekend and holiday work.
This internship is part of The Whale Museum’s Summer Internship Program, providing interns with opportunities to work across other departments such as the Soundwatch Boater Education Program, Be Whale Wise, Sea Sound Remote Sensing Network, Sightings Network,
and Museum Collections. Interns will have the chance to explore these areas based on their interests and aptitudes, gaining a well-rounded experience in marine conservation, research, and education.
II. KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
-
Assist with daily TWMMMRP operations, including: monitoring the stranding hotline for reports, conducting health assessments of live seal pups in the field; tagging live harbor seals that are not collected for rehabilitation; transferring harassed or injured
pups to a local rehabilitation center; surveying and documenting entangled animals; conducting Level A examinations of stranded marine mammals.
-
Assist with necropsies of fresh dead marine mammals including: transferring carcasses to the lab space; setting-up, and taking down necropsy supplies; note-taking, photography, prosecting; organizing, archiving and shipping biological samples.
-
Data entry.
-
Assist with equipment maintenance.
-
Involvement in education and outreach.
-
Communicating with a volunteer network of approximately 60 people.
III. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-
Applicant must be willing to relocate to San Juan Island, WA. All TWMMMRP equipment is stored on San Juan Island.
-
Ability to maintain calm and positive attitude under pressure and in adverse weather conditions.
-
Adaptability and flexibility.
-
Ability to work in a dynamic environment and communicate empathically with others.
-
The drive to learn skills to become a competent field biologist with the goal of applying the skills learned in a future related position.
-
Proficiency in English.
-
Comfort aboard small vessels.
IV. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-
Basic photography skills.
-
Data entry skills.
-
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.
V. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-
Experience with public communication and conflict resolution.
-
Experience working with animals.
OTHER POSITION DETAILS:
-
Pay: $16/hr, 40 hrs/week, 11 weeks
-
TWMMMRP is a research program of The Whale Museum (TWM). Our office is housed at TWM in the heart of Friday Harbor and lab space is at UW’s Friday Harbor Labs, approximately 2 miles away. Access to reliable personal transportation is strongly recommended to
aid in timely transportation between the office and lab. Car or bike is recommended. TWM staff can help you locate a bike on San Juan if you are not able to bring one.
-
The community in the San Juans care deeply about the marine wildlife so you will often find yourself in sensitive situations when handling stranded animals. Sometimes TWMMMRP’s decisions are met with dissatisfaction, questioning, or anger at our action/inaction
in specific cases (e.g. leaving an abandoned pup on a beach where it will likely die). You must be prepared to learn how to manage these interpersonal situations with empathy and confidence. You will always be able to refer the public to TWMMMRP Coordinator
or TWM’s Research Director.
-
You do not need previous animal handling experience to apply for this position, but you must care about the conservation and research of marine species and be motivated to pursue a career in science or conservation. TWMMMRP recognizes the challenges in acquiring
many of the skills required for early-career positions.
TO APPLY:
Please send the following documents attached as one (1) PDF file to research@whalemuseum.org with the subject “[your last name] Summer 2026 TWMMMRP Internship” by March 13 2026. Application review will begin immediately.
1. Your CV or resume
2. A personal statement (1 page max) including:
-
Why you are interested in the position
-
Why you would be a valuable asset to our team
-
How you meet the required qualifications and any other qualifications or experiences you wish to expand upon
3. A list of 3 professional references
-
Include their name, email, and title
Thank you!