"Swim with the Dolphins"

Question:

I’ve always loved the ocean, and I have a secret desire to swim with dolphins. Is this realistic?

Answer:

Interestingly, this may not be as far-fetched as it might appear at first glance. Marine Science is a thriving field with a wide range of possibilities for people with a passion for the water. The American Society for Limnology and Oceanography lists several possible areas of specialization within Aquatic Science including aquatic chemistry, marine geology, physical oceanography, and biology. For those genuinely interested in working with whales or dolphins, the Society for Marine Mammalogy suggest, among many others, job titles such as animal trainer, field biologist, naturalist, and educators. The field is broad enough to allow a great deal of variety, depending on your interests.

While your ultimate career path may take you far afield, you may not need to leave the area to pursue the education you’ll need to prepare for this field. Bowling Green State University has an excellent Aquatic and Marine Science program, and has a superb marine laboratory. According to the BGSU Biological Sciences department, “the lab, which contains over 3,000 gallons of sea-water in 60 aquaria, is unmatched in Ohio universities.” The program is hands-on, and includes field study opportunities at the Gulf Coast Research Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

If your passion really is to “swim with the dolphins”, you may want to consider marine mammal research, or animal training. You need to be aware that there are far more people who would like to do this than there are positions available, but for the focused and determined individual, there are reasonable approaches to the field. You may want to check the Internet web site produced by Sea World for specific information about this. The address for this site is www.seaworld.org. The Sea World site has specific information about careers in aquarium settings, with education and with research, as well as possibilities in animal training.

In addition to the Sea World site, there are a number of other highly informative web sites. Some sites you may want to visit include:

Aquatic Science Career Information, produced by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography: http://www.aslo.org/aslo/aquatic.html

Strategies For Pursuing A Career In Marine Mammal Science, produced by the Society for Marine Mammalogy: http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmstrat.html

The home site of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association:
http://www.imata.org

The Dolphin And Whale Career Guide LINK-O-RAMA:
http://www.dolphinsandwhales.com/links.html

Questions about careers? Ask the Career Guy @ careers@bgnet.bgsu.edu