Photo: Cinde Bierman

Although this program is geared for students and recent college graduates, anyone interested in helping the Ocean Alliance or in learning about whales is welcome to apply.

This internship is based in Gloucester, MA where we have an affiliation with Cape Ann Whale Watch (CAWW). The whale watch boats take between 150 and 250 passengers on half-day trips whale watching. Trips usually last four hours. Two interns and a naturalist are present on every trip, usually working two trips in a day throughout the spring and summer season and once a day in the fall.

On the boat, Intern responsibilities include:

• Educating passengers about whales and their environment using hands-on teaching tools to enhance their understanding of whales
• Helping with the general functioning of the whale watch boat
• Collecting data on the whales in the Gulf of Maine, as well as assisting with data collection of passengers reactions
• Answering questions about the whales to help promote conservation of whales and their ocean environment

Off the boat, Intern responsibilities include:

• Participating in weekly meetings
• Entering data one day a week in the Gloucester office
• Participating in an intern project at Ocean Alliance headquarters once a week in Lincoln

Because of the strong emphasis on education, this internship is not only for marine biologists. Are you enthusiastic about teaching, about whales, or about the environment and promoting conservation? Do you have a desire to initiate changes in people's attitudes and behaviors towards the environment? You could be ideal for this internship!!

We are looking for people who feel comfortable speaking in public, talking to people in small groups, teaching, or working with school age and younger children. This internship can be intense. It can also involve long hours. BUT, when you reach someone and change their attitudes about the importance of saving our oceans, it makes it all worthwhile.

Photo: Cinde Bierman

"One trip this summer, a woman and her father came whale watching. The woman had loved marine life her whole life and her father had never really given her the time of day about it. Finally, for his 70th birthday he said to her, 'Ok, you have 4 days to show me your world and then let's not talk about it again.' After 4 whale watch trips, he was giggling, and laughing and interacting with the whales much the same way a 7 year old would. It was incredible to see the transformation in only 3 days." - Cynde Bierman, Head Naturalist, describing a trip during the summer of 2000.

The deadline for applying is March 1st of the year you are applying for. Interviews will be conducted during the month of March. If possible they will be in-person interviews. Where this is not possible, we will conduct phone interviews. Interns will be notified if their application has been accepted by the end of March of the year they are applying for. This is a volunteer position and interns are responsible for paying for their accommodations. Group housing will be made available to offset summer housing costs.

The season starts in the beginning of May and runs through October. During that time, there is a summer and a fall session. The summer session starts in the middle of May, or earlier if possible, and ends in mid- August. The fall session starts in mid-August and runs through the end of the season. If you are interested, please send resume, cover letter expressing why you are interested in the internship, dates available, and 2 references to:

Ocean Alliance
191 Weston Rd.
Lincoln, MA 01773
Attn: Cynde Bierman
or send it via email cynde@shore.net