How To Become A Trainer
When people ask me how to become a dolphin trainer, they usually expect a simple, step-by-step answer. But the truth is, there’s no single road to this career. What I can share, though, is the story of how my path unfolded, beginning with a childhood fascination with animals and eventually leading me into the world of marine science.
Ever since I was little I always wanted to work with animals. I looked up to people like Jane Goodall and her work with the chimpanzees. I always thought it was so fascinating how she worked with animals and was able to preach her message about conservation and so I wanted to do something similar. So I went to school for marine science and I minored in entrepreneurship as well at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, that's out in California on the central coast. Toward the end of my college career I was looking for a job and I came across Ocean Ramsey and what she was doing with One Ocean, taking tourists out to swim with sharks.
I just thought it was so incredible. There is no better way to show people how incredible animals are and to inspire them about conservation than seeing them in person. So I went out to interview with her and I was actually going to work for her company but COVID hit.
So when COVID hit I was told by her team and herself that I needed to get my DiveMaster to become a part of the team because there's a lot of safety training that goes into becoming a DiveMaster. So I went back to my college town after a few months of quarantine and I got my DiveMaster with Slow Ocean Currents. They're awesome, so much fun.
Since COVID paused the Ocean Ramsey job opportunity I looked elsewhere. I actually had a family friend who recommended that I look at the Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego. So I applied and then the rest is history.
I got into the internship. I had such an amazing time. I was able to be so hands-on with the animals. You get to learn about husbandry. You get to learn about Navy operations. They train dolphins and sea lions how to locate mines and enemy swimmers. It was just so cool to work with those incredibly smart animals and be able to learn what it was like to be a trainer at the Navy. I stayed for an advanced internship with the Navy where I gained even more responsibility and got to do really cool behaviors like asking the dolphins to beach up on the boats for transportation and train other behaviors.
You get to learn so much. You get to even train behaviors. I trained a behavior when I was toward the end I looked for a job and got a job at SeaWorld San Diego.
Landing a job at SeaWorld San Diego as a Husbandry Assistant in the fish department was the start of an adventure I never could have scripted. My days began with preparing and delivering fish to every animal area, but the moment that changed everything was the first time I stepped inside the Dolphin Show arena. I made eye contact with four rescued pilot whales—Argo, Ace, Ava, and Piper—and I remember just standing there, completely captivated. I had never seen an animal like them before.
A few weeks into working in “Fish House,” the Dolphin curator approached me and asked if I wanted to join her team. I didn’t even try to hide my excitement. That’s when my real journey began. I found myself writing show scripts, training behaviors, and forming lifelong bonds with the dolphins, pilot whales, sloths, and otters who called the Dolphin Show home. Every day felt like a gift.
After about two and a half years, and a promotion to Senior Trainer, I had the chance to expand even further. I’d made enough connections across the park and within the Killer Whale team that the head of Whale reached out and recruited me. Leaving the Dolphin area was bittersweet, but I was ready for a new challenge. Working with killer whales is an experience only a handful of people on Earth get to have, and I felt honored to be trusted with it.
I spent almost two years at Killer Whale, helping tell the conservation story through Orca Encounter, guiding VIP tours in both English and Spanish, and building relationships with animals that weighed more than 10,000 pounds. Every interaction reminded me just how extraordinary these creatures are.
Looking back, I feel incredibly lucky. My career as a trainer has been full of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, unforgettable animals, and moments that shaped who I am today.
