Marine Mammal Specialist Internship

The internship begins with an orientation program, which is inclusive of all departments at Dolphin hip Quest, to provide the intern a comprehensive understanding of our company, our mission, our program and our expectations of them. The Marine Mammal Internship has four focuses that encompasses our goals for the interns.

Goals for Marine Mammal Interns

The goals for the Marine Mammal Internship were developed to match the mission, vision and values of our company. It is our belief that these goals will be transferable to any marine facility or organization that the intern chooses for his/her future.

To that end, the goals for the Marine Mammal Interns include: 

Interns will assist marine mammal specialists in the overall daily care of the dolphins, which will include daily food prep, health assessments, feeding, enriching and possibly training. A mentor system is used wherein marine mammal specialists and Crew Members will be allocated to interns individually or as a group as they teach the skills using successive approximations (learn the theory by shadowing and observing paired with subject specific handouts), followed by supervised practical application. Each progression is critiqued and signed off by a marine mammal specialist before the intern advances to the next level.

The timing of the progression will be based on the individual’s competencies and skills, but could follow as such: 

Education, Conservation and Global Stewardship

Interns will develop interpretive skills that will help them connect with guests and provide information using an approach that makes the information relevant to the guest. Basic information will be provided during orientation. From there the interns will assist with Quest Engagement, which provides the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with visitors regarding dolphins, other marine animals, the marine environment and conservation. In addition, interns will learn deliver informal presentations to the guests visiting our site. Interns also have the opportunity to assist in teaching various children’s programs. These programs are based on fun, educational activities that include information about marine life and conservation.

Sensational Service

During orientation, the interns participate in a Sensational Service Workshop. This two-hour class teaches the basics of providing exceptional guest service to both customers as well as the Crew. This workshop includes a discussion on what is meant by sensational service, why it is important, techniques for delivering sensational service, and an in-depth explanation of our fifteen “Customer Service Standards”.

Professionalism and Teamwork

Throughout the internship program, interns are held accountable for skills such as open and honest communication, working as a team, developing not only trust and respect of others, but other’s trust and respect for the intern as well, the importance of character and integrity and finally a strong sense of professionalism and proper behavior in a work environment. The goal is to help interns succeed professionally in any chosen field. Additional learning opportunities Interns will spend about 60% of their time working on the marine mammal team, and about 40% of their time on other teams.

A portion of this time is paired with theoretical learning through the Dolphin Quest Lecture Series written and approved by the Dolphin Quest Community. Each of these lectures is approximately two hours and includes required supplemental reading, quizzes and a final exam. Many interns are able to receive college credit as the result of this lecture series.