I. POSITION DESCRIPTION: 

This internship position will assist year-round staff of The Whale Museum’s Marine Mammal Response Program (TWMMMRP) with efforts to provide coverage for all stranded or in-distress marine mammal calls in San Juan County (SJC), Washington State. SJC comprises over 734 rocks and islands visible at high tide, with a total shoreline of approximately 400 miles. Many of these islands are uninhabited and accessible only by private vessel. Pinniped strandings account for approximately 90% of all responses, most occurring during harbor seal pupping season from June through August. Each year, TWMMMRP receives around 150 reports/year and conducts necropsies and collects Level A data for all calls when possible. The program is overseen by The Whale Museum’s Research Director with daily duties directed by the TWMMMRP Coordinator. 

The intern will support the TWMMMRP Coordinator in duties such as responding to calls by truck or vessel, conducting necropsies, crewing the response vessel, data entry, sample management, lab inventory, and being on-call to field hotline calls. Training in pinniped capture and large whale disentanglement will also be provided. The ideal candidate will have the required qualifications and some combination of the preferred and desired qualifications. This role is based on San Juan Island, requiring 40 hours per week for a period of 11 weeks, beginning June 2026, with weekend and holiday work. 

This internship is part of The Whale Museum’s Summer Internship Program, providing interns with opportunities to work across other departments such as the Soundwatch Boater Education Program, Be Whale Wise, Sea Sound Remote Sensing Network, Sightings Network, and Museum Collections. Interns will have the chance to explore these areas based on their interests and aptitudes, gaining a well-rounded experience in marine conservation, research, and education.

II. KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Assist with daily TWMMMRP operations, including: monitoring the stranding hotline for reports, conducting health assessments of live seal pups in the field; tagging live harbor seals that are not collected for rehabilitation; transferring harassed or injured pups to a local rehabilitation center; surveying and documenting entangled animals; conducting Level A examinations of stranded marine mammals. 
• Assist with necropsies of fresh dead marine mammals including: transferring carcasses to the lab space; setting-up, and taking down necropsy supplies; note-taking, photography, prosecting; organizing, archiving and shipping biological samples. 
• Data entry. 
• Assist with equipment maintenance.
• Involvement in education and outreach. 
• Communicating with a volunteer network of approximately 60 people. 

III. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Applicant must be willing to relocate to San Juan Island, WA. All TWMMMRP equipment is stored on San Juan Island. 
• Ability to maintain calm and positive attitude under pressure and in adverse weather conditions. 
• Adaptability and flexibility.
• Ability to work in a dynamic environment and communicate empathically with others. 
• The drive to learn skills to become a competent field biologist with the goal of applying the skills learned in a future related position. 
• Proficiency in English. 
• Comfort aboard small vessels. 

IV. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Basic photography skills. 
• Data entry skills. 
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs. 

V. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Experience with public communication and conflict resolution. 
• Experience working with animals. 

OTHER POSITION DETAILS: 

• Pay: $16/hr, 40 hrs/week, 11 weeks 
• All applicants must already have the right to work in the United States. TWM can not sponsor work visas for international applicants.
• TWMMMRP is a research program of The Whale Museum (TWM). Our office is housed at TWM in the heart of Friday Harbor and lab space is at UW’s Friday Harbor Labs, approximately 2 miles away. Access to reliable personal transportation is strongly recommended to aid in timely transportation between the office and lab. Car or bike is recommended. TWM staff can help you locate a bike on San Juan if you are not able to bring one. 
• The community in the San Juans care deeply about the marine wildlife so you will often find yourself in sensitive situations when handling stranded animals. Sometimes TWMMMRP’s decisions are met with dissatisfaction, questioning, or anger at our action/inaction in specific cases (e.g. leaving an abandoned pup on a beach where it will likely die). You must be prepared to learn how to manage these interpersonal situations with empathy and confidence. You will always be able to refer the public to TWMMMRP Coordinator or TWM’s Research Director. 
• You do not need previous animal handling experience to apply for this position, but you must care about the conservation and research of marine species and be motivated to pursue a career in science or conservation. TWMMMRP recognizes the challenges in acquiring many of the skills required for early-career positions.