What does it take to become an animal trainer at Sea World?

Question

Its been my dream job to work there and train animals but what major should i choose in college and anything else i need to do to become a trainer there

Answer 1

Never trained or worked with them, but I know some people who have, and many who are marine mammal trainers in other institutions.  Most I know have a biology degree, or psychology degree, and a good understanding of animal training techniques.

The field is very competitive, and not many of the people who try get to do it and get paid...so be ready to work hard, and still possibly not get it (have a back-up plan that you will be happy with, too).  While in school volunteer to work with animals, and do any internship working with marine mammals that you can get.  Hopefully at SeaWorld or another good institution that will get you in the door.  

One of the people who now train at Sea World had a degree in Biology, worked/trained at a zoo for several years, and then got a temporary job training and working in a restaurant in Sea World.  She's a full time trainer now, but she worked very hard to get there.

Answer 2

Here, I hope this info will help.  Yeah, I know, a lot of reading.  ;-p

Good Luck!

Listen to...

http://seaworld.com/sitepage.aspx?PageID...

Wild Careers

How about a wild career working with animals! We'll introduce you to dedicated people all over the world who are working with and for wildlife.

http://www.seaworld.org/ask-shamu/faq.ht...

How do I become a marine animal trainer?

The following information is SeaWorld's basic job description, requirements, and background information on an entry-level animal trainer position.

ANIMAL TRAINER

Responsible for the daily care, feeding and maintenance of show animals. Develops and trains animal behaviors and performs in animal shows for the public and educational shows for school groups. An apprenticeship period of at least a year is required for all trainer positions, even with previous experience.

Our requirements for animal trainers include:

° must be at least 18 years of age

° prior experience training animals

° public speaking, drama, or other performance and communication skills (a microphone test is part of the interview process)

° experience working with animals

° scuba diving certification

° CPR certification

° an ability to interact with the public

° academic coursework in zoology, marine biology, animal behavior or psychology (preference is given to those applicants with a college degree)

° strong swimming skills (part of the interview process is a rigorous swim test that includes a 200 ft. freestyle swim, a 100 ft. underwater swim, and a free-dive to the bottom of a 26 ft. pool.)

° excellent physical health and the ability to lift 50 lbs.

   In addition, even with previous training experience, new trainers are hired as associate trainers, and learn about SeaWorld’s training methods and animals in at least a one-year apprenticeship period.



HOW TO GET EXPERIENCE

To try and see if a career in animal training or animal care is for you, SeaWorld offers a weeklong Career Camp for grades 9-12 during the summer at all three parks. Check online at SWBG-AdventureCamps.com for more information.

Many colleges and universities offer internship opportunities along with the local zoos or aquariums as part of a zoological science or similar type of degree program. Moorpark College in Southern California offers a special Exotic Animal Training and Management program designed for those who want to enter into zoological careers. In Florida, Santa Fe Community College and Pensacola Junior College offer similar programs. Volunteering at a local animal shelter, veterinarian, or wildlife rescue facility is another great way to get experience. In addition, many zoos and aquariums have docent or other volunteer positions available. It is also helpful to gain experience at the park or facility that you’re interested in working for. At SeaWorld, many of our openings for trainer and animal care positions go to applicants that have worked at the park in another department such as education - so this is a great way to get your foot in the door.

Another thing to keep in mind is when position openings are available. At SeaWorld, we have most openings for trainers and animal care in the early spring, and usually post these positions on our website (www.becjobs.com) in late winter. During this time we hold the swim tests and microphone tests as the initial parts of the interview process.

As you can imagine, we get hundreds of applicants each year for trainer positions. For killer whale trainers there may only be one or two openings each year— so this is an even more competitive area to get into. While a college degree is not currently required, those applicants that have a degree in marine biology, animal behavior, zoology, psychology, or related fields are almost always the ones that get interviews. Also, the swim test and microphone test are critical parts of the interview process. Most people who take these tests do not pass the underwater swim portion of this test, so it is critical to practice for this.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (www.aza.org) also posts career information and job openings on its website. We also have a lot more info on our website (www.swbg-animals.org) about training and other animal careers. Other great sites to check out are the websites for the International Marine Animal Training Association (www.imata.org) and the Society for Marine Mammalogy (this has an excellent section on pursuing a career in marine mammal science at http://www.marinemammalogy.org/strat.htm...

http://animalscience.calpoly.edu/areas_o...

The Animal Science department currently has an informal agreement  with Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program. This allows Moorpark students to participate in Moorpark's program their first two years and upon being admitted to Cal Poly, complete the remainder of their bachelor's degree at Cal Poly. Currently Cal Poly students are able to create a career elective area that would allow them to study zoo and exotic animals. For more information contact Dr. Plummer.

Learn about career opportunities in an interview with an animal trainer at Sea World, San Diego and a former Cal Poly animal science student.

http://animalscience.calpoly.edu/areas_o...

What steps did you take to get to where you are?

I have always loved animals and I knew I wanted to work with them in some capacity. I came to Sea World when I was growing up and after seeing the shows I knew animal training was what I wanted to do. I have always been a swimmer, which is one of the major requirements of the job. Having a love for the ocean, I was more than happy to get my SCUBA certification, another important requirement. While in school I took courses in animal management, biology and psychology. I also got my foot in the door at Sea World by doing an internship for the Sea World Orlando education department.

What advice would you offer current animal science students with an interest in exotic animals?

Most zoos and aquariums offer some type of internship or volunteer opportunity. When applying for these jobs upon graduation (internship and volunteer) experiences are invaluable. Any hands-on experience with any type of animal is helpful. The International Marine Animal Trainer's Association is an organization that many animal trainers, keepers and veterinarians are members of. The IMATA organization provides a lot of information about training, education and job opportunities around the world.

http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_s...

16. Will the EATM program give me an advantage over any other schools or programs?

YES! There are facilities which contact us first when they have openings, because they prefer to hire our graduates. We have a job board at the EATM office, and also a posting on-line for graduates of the program.

For example, in March of 2001, the San Diego Zoo had openings for 7 summer positions. They received over 200 applications. All 7 of the people they hired were from the EATM graduating class of May 2001.

Many of our students want to train marine mammals - we send graduates all over the world to do this. Especially to the Caribbean - a new Dolphin Program hired 4 graduates in the summer of 2001, and more in 2002, 2003 & 2004.

The May 2003 graduates currently have many wonderful jobs. One is working in Shamu Stadium at Sea World in San Diego, training the Killer Whales! (His photo is to the right) Several others are with Universal Studios - both in Orlando and Hollywood. Others are with various Marine Mammal facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Graduates from the class of 2004 are working training Guide Dogs in California, with marine mammals at Sea World Orlando, Sea Life Marine Park in Hawaii, Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, California - and many other facilities. Graduates from the class of 2008 have jobs at - Sea World San Diego, the U.S. Navy training sea lions, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, Universal Studios Hollywood - and many other places.  EATM graduates get jobs everywhere.

We also receive many job listings each week, from companies and organizations who want to hire our graduates, and we maintain an on-line listing of jobs - available to graduates of the program.

http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets...

http://www.amazon.com/Kicked-Bitten-Scra...

Answer 3

i wanna do the same thing. i am gonna major in marine biology and possibly minor in animal behavior.

good luck to you and maybe i'll train with you at sea world