“Live The Dream! Become A ‘Trainer For A Week’ At Dolphin Quest
The new Trainer for a Week program launches with success as Jacqueline Deehan seeks a once in a lifetime jump start on her career aspirations.
It’s not your average day to wake up at the crack of dawn, glance out to a beautiful ocean fed lagoon and say hi to six smiling grey faces peering back at you. That’s what Jacqueline did every day for a week. She wanted to live, first hand, the life of a trainer. And that she got!
Our new Trainer for a Week program was piloted this spring at Dolphin Quest Oahu. It offers individuals interested in pursuing a career in marine mammal training the chance to get to know the realities of the job in a hands on fashion. Each day capitalizes on a fascinating aspect of animal management filled with daily goals to educate and enrich our eager participants. It dives deep into detail with the chance to see operations from start to finish.
Jacqueline was a stellar student. She enthusiastically jumped right in learning how to identify the animals, prepare and manage their daily diets, collect husbandry samples and train new behaviors.
One of the trainers had the chance to sit down with Jacqueline after her week was over to get her insider’s view of the experience. Here is what she had to say.
How did you discover this was something you wanted to pursue?
I felt that growing up in San Diego naturally fostered a love for these animals. As a child, I spent lots of time visiting Sea World and connecting to the animals there. I just knew from an early age that I wanted to do something like this. I felt the calling.
What did you like most about the experience?
I was so surprised and excited when I showed up the first morning and the crew knew me by name, were genuinely excited to host me and made me a priority throughout the day. They really made me feel like an official part of the team.
Another one of my favorite parts was seeing the relationship between the dolphins and the trainers. As they worked on a new behavior, for instance, seeing the trainer’s thorough understanding of each individual animal and watching that play out in their interactions was intriguing. The connection they have was evident. How they handled every part of the day was so fluid and second nature because of how well they know these animals.
What did you learn new that surprised you?
Although I knew the animals were healthy, I had never seen or thought much about the process relating to preventative health care. Seeing the behaviors trained so that it could all be done voluntarily was impressive. I got to watch the dolphin present its tail fluke for a blood draw voluntarily. Then I got to watch the sample being collected and helped with the preparation and reading of the blood parameters. It was so educational to see it start to finish.
How might this experience help you in your pursuit of a career with marine mammals?
I really appreciated getting to do it all. It was a very hands-on experience and for a week I got to see the life and work of a trainer as a real life test experience. I now understand how much hard work goes into facility management, educating the public and connecting to the dolphins. The more you learn the more you realize how much goes into it all. Every day I had one-on-one time with a trainer on various training topics. All of these experiences will better prepare me for a job in this field and give me a jump start on the learning curve.
Would you recommend the program?
Absolutely! If someone is looking for a more holistic experience of being a trainer from diet preparation to program management, then it's a perfect experience.
Join us, like Jacqueline did, to experience firsthand the ultimate dream job! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that will be sure to jump start your career, fulfill your lifelong dream or place you on the path to success as a trainer.
Interesting in the Trainer for a Week program? Choose the Dolphin Quest location you will be visiting to learn more.
