Education Needed to Become A Trainer

Swimming with dolphins is an occurrence that most people might think of only happening in their dreams or in fairy tales. While some may have enjoyed a quick dip in a pool with a trained dolphin, the idea of actually getting to spend every day with these gentle sea creations might seem too good to be true. However, for anyone with a career as a marine trainer, this dream may actually be a daily reality. In fact, anyone enjoying a dolphin encounter Bahamas vacation will get to interact with these marine trainers who not only get the joy of swimming with dolphins and sea lions, but they also get the thrill of introducing visitors to their first dolphin encounter Bahamas experience as well.

Visitors enjoying a dolphin encounter can relax in knowing that the marine animal trainers there are well qualified to do their jobs. Education requirements for a marine trainer can vary somewhat, depending on the specific program pathway that an individual chooses to get to her/his career goal. Ideally, a marine animal trainer candidate should have at least a formal undergraduate educational degree. This undergraduate degree does not necessarily have to be in a specific field; however, there are some fields that marine training programs are typically apt to view more favorably. Specifically speaking, choosing a degree in general biology, marine biology, zoology, or even psychology is recommended. These undergraduate degrees all encompass a variety of classes that focus on including information that could be very useful when working with animals such as sea lions and dolphins.

In addition to an undergraduate degree, anyone interested in a career as a marine trainer is encouraged to actively pursue (and complete) an internship or apprenticeship program that focuses on working with animals. While such a program should ideally be one that works specifically with marine animals, marine training programs often will still consider candidates who also have a background in working with other species of animals as well. Animal care is a huge part of the job of a marine trainer, and experience with large animal care in an educational setting can often be viewed as ample proof of apt acquisition of necessary animal care skills.

Another important factor for anyone considering a career in marine animal training is public speaking ability. Marine trainers typically do not just work with sea lions or dolphins. Instead, marine trainers need to be comfortable speaking both in one-on-one dolphin encounter experiences and in crowd lecture opportunities. Both types of public speaking skills are necessary for success as a personable marine animal trainer, and public speaking classes might be a good idea for anyone looking to improve these skills.

Finally, self-propelled education opportunities are always an added boon to a marine animal trainer program application. For instance, volunteering with a marine life organization with a focus on general public education could be viewed as a positive experience. Other options include opting to join specific marine animal societies that send out quarterly publications detailing the latest advancements in the sea lion and dolphin training world.