I recently visited a theme park with my family and was amazed by the marine mammal show. How does someone become a marine animal trainer?
Your interest in training marine mammals is shared by many. My advice to you is to take as many math and science classes as you can — not just in high school, but in college as well. Also, while a marine mammal trainer may be your first choice now, it’s a bit too early to limit your options. In fact, that is the advice we hear a lot from people in the field of marine science: don’t specialize too early; keep your options open and be flexible! When deciding on further education, you should look for a school with strong science programs. Careers opportunities involving work with marine mammals are very competitive, so you should try to get some relevant experience now. You could begin by finding out about volunteer opportunities at nearby zoos or aquaria. Many places offer such positions and some are even paid. There are a couple of organizations that offer information about working with marine mammals and marine mammal training. They are: IMATA (International Marine Animal Trainers Ass
