2026 Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation Internship Announcement California Wildlife Center is excited to announce internship opportunities for the Winter, Spring and Summer 2026! California Wildlife Center is in Calabasas, California, and responds to reports of stranded marine mammals 365 days a year along the Malibu Coastline. Our pinniped rehabilitation facility is active during the region’s period of highest strandings, which is January through July. Winter Session = December 15th through January 25th (flexible start & end dates) Spring Session = March 2nd through May 31st Summer Session = June 1st through August 9th Time Commitment: 28-40 hours per week Vaccination Requirement: To be considered, applicants must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Summary/Program Description The California Wildlife Center (CWC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, orphaned, and sick native wildlife. Our Marine Mammal program supports this mission through the response of all live and deceased marine mammals stranded in Malibu (LA County) and focuses on the on-site rehabilitation of young California Sea Lion and Northern Elephant Seal pups. This internship will provide an exciting and challenging educational experience in the marine mammal rehabilitation field. Working closely with the Marine Mammal program staff, individuals are exposed to various aspects of pinniped stranding response and rehabilitation, including logistics, assessment, capture, restraint, transportation, husbandry, data collection, and public relations. The marine mammal team also performs rescues on native marine avian species, providing interns with a view into the skills necessary for capture and transport of these species. To minimize cross contamination potential, all rehabilitative care of non-marine mammal species is handled solely by the hospital personnel. Intern Responsibilities Under supervision of Marine Mammal staff, experiences will include: * Assessment of stranded marine mammals on the beach; collecting detailed information about species, location, and observations regarding the animal. Accurately dispatching information to the shift lead, to assess if needing a rescue. * Assisting or leading responder teams in the capture and handling of stranded marine mammals needing medical attention. * Maintaining good rapport with representatives of various public agencies, as well as members of the public by providing education on the beach and answering the marine mammal rescue phone. * Maintaining detailed records of daily activities including reports of stranding, human interaction, and patient health status. * Performing daily husbandry tasks in the marine mammal enclosures for patients admitted to the on-site rehabilitation facility. * Administering feeds, diet preparation, and animal restraint as assigned. May assist staff with intake examinations, release evaluations, and veterinary care as needed. * Working closely with Marine Mammal department staff to provide patient-specific rehabilitative care. * Adhering to all safety guidelines set forth by California Wildlife Center and the Marine Mammal Department. * Providing appropriate transport conditions for stranded marine mammals to the rehabilitation facility. * Participating in releases of healthy marine mammal patients back to their Pacific Ocean home. * Assisting with marine mammal post-mortem response on the beach, on site necropsy, sample collection, and data entry. Winter Session will focus on rescue and rehabilitation of California sea lion pups, and facility preparation for the busy season. Spring Session will focus on in-house rehabilitation of Northern elephant seal pups. All species and age classes are rescued during this session, then transported to other rehabilitation centers for continued care. Spring stranding months are the busiest and most demanding. Summer Session will focus on responding to larger California sea lions and releasing rehabilitated Northern elephant seals. Qualifications This internship is open to all applicants at least 18 years of age or older. Undergraduate students and non-students alike are encouraged to apply. If an intern intends to receive academic credit, they will be responsible for making all arrangements with their educational institutions. Due to the unpredictable nature of marine mammal stranding response, interns may be requested to work beyond their normal scheduled hours. Interns must be able and willing to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays. Interns will be required to have good physical strength and the ability to lift/carry 50 lbs. Ability to safely walk on beaches of rocky terrain to assist in marine mammal response. The ability to spend extended periods outdoors and on your feet walking, standing, and crouching, including carrying kenneled large animals to the response vehicles. Interns must maintain professionalism with staff, volunteers, and the public. Interns must have the ability to operate in a fast-paced, high stress environment and assist in situations involving sick and injured marine mammals. Must have the ability to multi-task, be adaptable, have attention to detail and be willing to learn. Animal care and/or marine mammal experience not required. Housing and transportation are the sole responsibility of the intern. Must have own transportation and current drivers’ license To apply - Submit the following items via email to: Alexis Sierra / asierra@cawildlife.org * Letter of intent * Resume * Proof of COVID Vaccination Your letter of intent should the session(s) that you are applying for and detail your specific areas of interest. Please visit our website for more information about the programs at CWC: http://cawildlife.org/volunteer/internshipsexternshipspreceptorships/ Alexis Sierra, RVTg Stranding Coordinator California Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2022 Malibu CA 90265 310/458-WILD (9453) cawildlife.org<https://cawildlife.org/> |[cid:ff435484-90dd-474a-9e10-39bb13715039]<https://www.instagram.com/cawildlife/>|[cid:8dc60b24-57d1-4b5c-8ad3-93f46b81f928]<https://www.facebook.com/californiawildlifecenter>
