Animal care volunteer

We're not currently accepting applications for this position.

Help us care for our animals by working in our food room, assisting with shorebirds and penguins, or feeding and caring for fishes and invertebrates.

Duties and requirements

• Must be age 18 or older. If you are under 18, check out our Teen Programs.
• Must live within a reasonable commuting distance from the Aquarium.

Animal care volunteers each have different duties. Please indicate your specific area of interest:

Aviculture duties

• Must be comfortable with preparing and distributing live food items to birds, such as worms and crickets.
• The capability to scrub and clean exhibits, food prep areas, and service areas
• The ability to perform physical duties that may involve lifting, carrying, and going up and down stairs

Food Room duties

• The capacity to function in a highly active workspace
• The ability to prepare food items by chopping, weighing, and processing fresh or frozen fish and shellfish
• Must be able to stand for long periods while preparing food and operating food preparation equipment such as knives, blenders, and scales.
• Must contribute to the general upkeep and cleanliness of the food room according to regulations set by the United States Department of Agriculture and other agencies. This includes cleaning animal food room sinks, refrigerators, floors, and dishes.
• The ability to lift up to 40 pounds and help with moving food from the walk-in freezer

Gallery duties

• Work in a specific gallery and assist the aquarists in that area to clean exhibits and holding tanks, prepare food and feed animals, and conduct duties related to the maintenance of life support systems.
• Climb up and down ladders, use step stools, and work at odd angles and in challenging positions to access and clean exhibits.
• Duties may also include carrying and manipulating buckets filled with seawater and animal food products.
• The work environment may include wet floors, low overhead workspaces, and dark service areas.

Time commitment

• Due to the level of training involved, volunteers for this position must commit to a minimum of one year of service with a four-hour shift per week from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m (7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for Food Room).
• Eighty percent attendance is mandatory.

Benefits

• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet people from around the world
• Professional training and development
• Valuable networking opportunities
• A deeper understanding of why protecting the ocean is important
• Gift shop and cafe discounts
• Invitations to social events
• Free parking for regular volunteers during shifts
• An enhanced sense of adventure

How to apply

We're not currently accepting applications for this position.

Check our other volunteer positions