WHALE ID & RESEARCH INTERNSHIP – Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA

The Aquarium of the Pacific is southern California’s largest public Aquarium whose mission is to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants, and ecosystems. The education team, including prides itself on being a scientific and educational institution, making Aquarium guests feel like explorers as they learn about conservation and ecology across multiple animal touch pools, exhibits, and public whale watches in partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises.

Interns will be collecting data on various cetaceans (dolphins, blue whales, humpbacks, fin whales, gray whales, etc.) while on public whale watches. Primary responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to: handling photography equipment, participating in whale watches in various weather conditions, uploading photos and data to a database, and managing photos and sighting data for further utilization, and interacting with Aquarium and whale watch guests.

Commitment

200-hour program that will be completed in 10 weeks, average 20 hrs per week

Pay Status: This is an unpaid internship

Interns will receive training and experience in the following:

Learning the methods of wildlife observation and data collection in the field

Using DSLR photography equipment

Taking dorsal fin and fluke photos of cetaceans encountered during daily, public whale watches

Maintain detailed data logs of sightings and enter them into a digital database

Create a research project to display to Aquarium staff and guests using whale data

Photo management with Adobe Lightroom and data entry with Microsoft Access

Interpreting and communicating science while on board the whale watch or in the building to Aquarium guests

What the Aquarium of the Pacific expects from interns

The drive and ability to learn tasks quickly and well

To perform all of their assigned duties promptly and reliably with minimal supervision

To be prompt and on time

To exercise care and judgment when working on a boat

To abide by all Aquarium of the Pacific employee guidelines and policies

The ability to meet the minimum time commitments of the position

Qualifications

Must be 18 years of age or older

Background in cetacean science, biology, marine biology, or conservation a plus but is not required

Prior experience with DSLR cameras and photo software is a plus, but not required

Completed and pass a background check

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Applicants should have a broad knowledge of ecological and biological principles, especially those relating to marine mammals and marine habitats

Ability to spend many hours standing, especially on a boat, and in various weather conditions

Experience in data entry recommended but not required

Comfortable speaking in front of groups of people

Strong communication skills to transmit information to staff, visitors, and whale watch participants in a clear and thorough manner

Have excellent oral and written communication skills

Ability to manage multiple tasks at once

Must be able to lift and carry 30 lbs on stairs, boats, docks, etc.

Requirements

Must complete general orientation session

Interns will complete a pre-post program questionnaire

Internship completion based on accruing 200 hours of work time

Research project completed and presented to Aquarium Staff during internship period (to be determined by the intern in collaboration with program coordinator)

Follow the link to apply to our internships https://bit.ly/37Vwhp6

James Stewart| Education Supervisor of Boat Programs

Aquarium of the Pacific | jstewart@lbaop.org