National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant
The Sea Watch Foundation is seeking a voluntary National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant for
the 2020 season. This position will suit a volunteer who has a strong interest in marine conservation
and recognises the importance of educating and raising awareness by involving the public.
The assistant will be responsible in aiding the Sightings Officer with the following duties:
Promoting, organising and running the National Whale and Dolphin Watch event (25 th July –
2 nd August 2020)
Creating promotional materials (posters, displays, flyer) for dissemination around the UK
Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, website) before and during the event
Interacting with the media (radio, TV and newspapers), including preparing press releases
Using initiative and creativity to reach out to wider audience
Keeping records of planned events
Updating webpage with events
Posting observer packs to participants in a timely manner
Encouraging data submission and website updates during the event
Collating data and imagery from the event
Entering event data on to database template
The National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant will also have some opportunity to be involved in
land-based and boat-based watches. However, this will be dependent on workload and will be
agreed between the Assistant and the Sightings Officer each time the opportunity arises.
The field season will run from April to October 2020 and has been split into four periods of seven
weeks for Research Interns. Our National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant is required to stay for
the middle two periods of the season. The assistant will be based in or around Bangor, North Wales,
and he/she will be helped in finding suitable accommodation. The assistant is responsible for their
own travel and living expenses.
National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant periods for summer 2020:
Periods 2 & 3: 01/05 – 04/09
Important skills/qualifications
Essential:
a strong interest in marine conservation and education
strong commitment to volunteering work
excellent verbal and writing skills
an ability to work in an organised and reliable manner and to manage a variable workload,
including appropriate delegation
good IT skills (Office package)
a careful, meticulous worker comfortable with entering quantities of sightings data
accurately
outgoing personality with confidence to interact with the public
Desirable:
experience of events organising
experience with postings on social media
prior experience in public speaking
a strong interest and some knowledge of British cetaceans
willingness to work outdoors in often very changeable Welsh weather
To apply:
Please send your CV and a cover letter reporting any relevant experience you have, and contact
details of two referees, to: Dr Chiara Giulia Bertulli (chiara.bertulli@gmail.com) and
Dr Peter G.H. Evans (peter.evans@bangor.ac.uk)
Deadline: 8 th March 2020 at midday.
Please specify “National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant” into your subject title.
Applicants must be available for interview via Skype between the 9 th and 13 th March and will be
notified of the outcomes by the 15 th March 2020.
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Find out more about National Whale and Dolphin Watch: www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw
If you want to download a copy of our previous National Whale and Dolphin Watch reports:
https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw-reports/
The Sea Watch Foundation
For the past 30 years, Sea Watch Foundation (http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/) has been
monitoring the dolphins, porpoises and whales around the UK, documenting abundance trends,
identifying conservation threats, and advising on the best ways to protect regional populations.
Alongside its own scientific surveys and research, Sea Watch has for more than a quarter of a
century pioneered citizen science as well as run a range of education and outreach programmes.
Public awareness
We aim to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of the marine wildlife and the
habitats supporting them, to encourage respect and conservation of the marine environment for
future generations. We also run training courses for the public in cetacean identification and survey
methods.
A list of some science, awareness and education achievements is given below:
Sea Watch Director, Dr Peter Evans, received the European Cetacean Society Conservation
Award, 2012
Sea Watch Foundation was recipient of the UNEP/ASCOBANS Outreach and Education
Award, 2009
Sea Watch Foundation was voted best UK animal adoption scheme by BBC Wildlife,
December 2008
Publication of Evans, P.G.H. (2019) European Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. Marine
Mammal Conservation in Practice. Academic Press, London & San Diego. 306pp.