The San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SJCMMSN), a program of The 
Whale Museum established in 1980, is authorized by NMFS to respond to all 
marine mammal strandings in San Juan County, WA. We typically respond to more 
than 200 calls of both live and deceased animals per year. SJCMMSN is currently 
hiring two (2) San Juan Island-based interns to help respond to marine mammal 
strandings during our busy stranding season. Interns and volunteers of this 
critical program serve as ambassadors between humans and marine mammals as well 
as contribute scientific data that is crucial to both human and animal health.

Internship is based in Friday Harbor, WA and requires approximately 35-40 hours 
per week from late June through early September. Schedule may vary and involve 
“on call” time. There will be a variety of tasks both in the field and in an 
office setting. Interns will receive an hourly wage. Housing is not provided, 
but we will give you resources and help you find accommodations.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Assist with stranding response including: conducting health assessments of 
live seal pups in the field; tagging harbor seals that are not collected for 
rehabilitation; transferring harassed or injured pups to a local rehabilitation 
center; assisting with surveying and documenting entangled animals; and 
conducting Level A examinations on dead marine mammals
• Assist with necropsies of fresh dead marine mammals including: transferring 
carcasses to the lab space; preparing, setting-up, and taking down necropsy 
supplies; organizing and archiving biological samples
• Perform first mate duties on board The Whale Museum’s stranding boat, the R/V 
Buzzard
• Assist with data entry and analysis for SJCMMSN as well as The Whale Museum’s 
marine mammal sightings network and passive acoustics collection
• Assist with training and supervising a volunteer network of approximately 60 
people
• Participate in weekly outreach events to teach the public about Share the 
Shore regulations
 
REQUIREMENTS:
• Applicant should be enrolled in an undergraduate program at an accredited 
college or university, or be a recent graduate from a college or university (up 
to 3 years).
• Possess a valid US driver's license and access to a mode of transportation
• Interest in the field of marine mammalogy, marine science, or wildlife science
• Experience boating in the marine environment 
• Experience with field work
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Physically fit (able to lift 50 lbs)
 
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Animal handling experience
• Experience with conflict resolution & public communication
• Project management experience

HOW TO APPLY FOR INTERNSHIP POSITION:
Please submit a letter of interest, a resume, and three letters of 
recommendation as one pdf. Please include what dates you are available. 
Applications accepted until 11:59pm (PST) on March 15th, 2021. Decisions will 
be made by April 2nd, 2021.
Please send application materials (or questions) to: Alyssa Scott // 
aly...@whalemuseum.org
Please include in your subject line: SJCMMSN Internship Application (Your Last 
Name)
For more information on the internship, visit [ The Whale Museum website ]( 
https://whalemuseum.org/pages/job-internship-volunteer-opportunities ).
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