Internship Program at Sea life Park Hawaii

Interns with a dolphin at the Hawaiian Ocean Theater

Become a Sea Life Park Intern

Sea Life Park Hawai'i offers several types of un-paid internships including: Marine Mammal Care & Training, Reef & Sea Turtle Care & Training, Seabird Care & Rehabilitation, Veterinary Technician, and Educator Experiences. Many interns receive course credit for their internships. We will be happy to work with your college or university to develop a program tied to your academic goals.

Our internships are ideal for students who love marine mammals and want hands–on experience working with them. Internships may also involve research projects within an assigned group. Those working within the marine mammals and our Reef Life departments will also have the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of animal training through a unique phase training program. This allows individuals to familiarize themselves with the training techniques and terminology used at Sea Life Park Hawai'i. All of our animal related internships require our interns to participate in food preparation for the animals of the park, so applicants must be comfortable working with frozen fish.

PARK INFO

Park Description

Park Attractions

Sea Life Park Map

How to get to the Park

Hawaiian Islands Guide

Education/Internship Programs

Internship opportunities

Aloha Experience

These interns will get to work primarily with dolphins. Aloha Interns have the opportunity to assist with dolphin training, husbandry, interactive programs, and observe some of our younger dolphins learning new behaviors. If your main focus is dolphins and learning about guest interactions, this is the internship for you!

Cove Experience

Cove Interns will work with dolphins and sea lions involved in our shows, exhibits, and interactive programs. These interns get to assist in training, husbandry, and interactive sessions with dolphins, as well as learn basic showmanship and show production skills during the daily Sea Life Park Hawai'i Dolphin Cove Show. Interns also assist in the daily training, care, and educational presentations with our sea lions and penguins.

Hawaiian Experience

Interns in the Hawaiian Experience get to assist with husbandry, training, and shows involving our dolphins, sea lions, and penguins. Interns may also assiste with basic husbandry of our Monk Seals and help trainers during our sea lion interactive program. If you are interested in shows and have a love for sea lions this is the internship for you!

Educator Experience

These interns will work with our in-house and outreach education programs. In our classroom, interns have the opportunity to assist with program instruction and curriculum development at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Interns also participate in park activities, the development of guest educational and interactive displays, and community programs.

One of our education interns teaching a class

Reef Life Experience

These interns will work with sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, and reef fish in our exhibits and interactive programs. Sea Life Park’s successful Green Sea Turtle breeding colony is the only such program in the United States, and is responsible for releasing between 200–800 hatchlings into the wild each year. Hatchlings raised in the park or loaned to other qualified aquariums provide a unique way to increase public awareness about the Honu and inspires new ambassadors for this species.

Veterinary Technician Experience

Applicants must have some previous veterinary technician experience.
Interns will work with a large variety of marine mammals, as well as penguins, sea turtles, reef fish, and seabirds. In our veterinary department, interns assist our staff with the husbandry and treatment of all animals housed in the park. Interns also help with lab procedures, sample processing, and record keeping.

Wings Experience

Interns work with a large variety of healthy and rehabilitating seabirds. At our Seabird Sanctuary, interns assist in the husbandry and treatment of non-releasable species of seabirds. At our Seabird Rehabilitation Center, interns help our veterinary staff with seabird medical treatments, husbandry, and reintroduction into the wild.

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The internship application dates have changed. Please see new dates below.

Internship Program Candidate Requirements

Candidates must:

Be at least 18 years of age
Be enrolled in or have graduated from a university or college
Commit to the full internship time period
Be able to financially support herself or himself (internships are un-paid, but lunches are included daily)
Have strong swimming skills and physically able to work in in-water interactive programs with marine mammals and other species
Be comfortable with public speaking
Be comfortable handling frozen fish

Accepted applicants must:

Attend all required seminars and training courses
Commit to a minimum of 40 hours per week (including nights and weekends)
Submit to random drug tests
Be able to lift 50lbs.

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Applications Submissions

Application Packets must include:

Application
2 letters of recommendation
College transcript(s) – an unofficial copy is fine
Statement of interest
CV or resume

Statement of Interest

Please include a 1–2 page typed statement of interest that explains your reasons for applying, your background information, your interests, your academic and field related experiences, your personal goals for the Sea Life Park Hawai'i internship.

Submission Instructions

To apply for a Sea Life Park Hawai'i Internship Program, download and complete the application below, attach all required materials, and mail to the address below or to: sflood@sealifeparkhawaii.com

download Internship application pdf

Stephanie Flood
Education Department Manager
Sea Life Park Hawai'i
41-202 Kalaniana'ole Highway #7
Waimanalo, Hawai'i 96795

**Be sure to save a copy of your application. Your application will not be processed unless your transcripts, letters of recommendation, resume, and statement of interest are included. Due to the high number of applicants, you may not be accepted into your first internship choice.

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Internship Availability Dates

Period	Dates	Application Deadline
Summer 2010 Period:	May 18, 2010 - August 20, 2010	February 19, 2010
Fall 2010 Period::	August 10, 2010 - January 14, 2011	May 7, 2010
Spring 2011 Period:	January 4, 2011 - May 27, 2011	October 1, 2010

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Internship Acceptances

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance or non-acceptance within a week after the application deadline. The selection process is completed by scoring all components of your application (application, letters of recommendation, transcripts, statement of interest, and resume) on a matrix. Those applicants with the highest combined scores will be selected.

Please note that we typically receive more than triple the number of applications for the summer period, so chances of being accepted are greater in the fall and spring sessions.

Important Information

Housing is not included and interns must cover their own living expenses. If accepted, the contact information of all new incoming interns and that of the current interns will be distributed so that the new interns may contact one another to find roommates and contact the current interns to see if they can assume their rentals. Generally with roommates, expect to pay between $600–1000/month.

A coupon for a free full hot or cold lunch is provided from our restaurant on each scheduled day.

Food preparation for our animals is a component of this internship and all animal care and vet tech interns are required to participate. Interns need to be able to lift 50lbs.

Medical Insurance is not provided by Sea Life Park Hawai'i. Should any incidence occur you will be responsible for payment or insurance coverage.

Sea Life Park Hawai'i does accept international applicants, however the applicant is responsible for obtaining the correct visa and sponsor (if required). Sea Life Park is NOT a sponsor.

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