A lot has happened since I graduated 4 months ago. Transitioning from being a student to entering the workforce has been exciting, exhausting, and a little scary. I spent the last few months of college searching for jobs and interviewing. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do post undergraduate school, but I knew I wanted to get a little bit of life and job experience before I decided whether or not to go to graduate school. I also wanted to do a couple of different types of marine biology-related jobs to see what might interest me. I was lucky enough to find two jobs in the marine biology field, an aquarist at a local aquarium and a whale naturalist on a whale watching tour boat.
In January, I started both jobs. As an aquarist, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of different animals including fish, sharks, sea turtles, a variety of marine invertebrates, and surprisingly, lovebirds. It’s been such an amazing opportunity to be able to work hands-on with these animals whether it be feeding them or monitoring behavior. I also get the opportunity to dive multiple times a week in the tanks with the animals in order to do maintenance tasks. While my job does make me feel like a real life mermaid sometimes, it also comes with a lot of unexpected manual labor in regards to enclosure maintenance. However, it’s all worth it. I still have a lot to learn from this job and I’m excited for what’s in store.
My second job on the whale watching boat was a ton of fun. I loved the opportunity I got to talk to people from around the world about the humpback whales as well as other amazing wildlife that call Hawaii home. It was also incredible to see humpback whales up close. It was such a gift to be able to see these new mother whales take care of and play with their calves.
Both these jobs have really opened my eyes to all the potential marine biology jobs available and how much I enjoy the education side of marine conservation. Both these jobs have taught how little so much of the world knows about our oceans and the animals that live in them. Having the opportunity to open people’s eyes by talking about marine life and the challenges they face and inspiring people to help protect our planet has brought a ton of joy to my life.
