School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

The Whale Museum’s Soundwatch Boater Education Program is recruiting for two positions this summer: a Vessel Operator/Educator and a summer intern. There are also unpaid volunteer opportunities.

Soundwatch is a research, education and monitoring program operated by The Whale Museum (TWM), a not-for-profit organization located in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington State. The Soundwatch program mission is to reduce vessel disturbance to marine wildlife, particularly the endangered Southern Resident killer whales, in the Salish Sea region of Washington State (USA) and British Columbia (Canada). Soundwatch is looking for vessel operators/educators to carry out program objectives; educate boaters on best practices for viewing marine wildlife before they leave the shore; reinforce the learning experience in the actual context where disturbances take place; develop and evaluate community-based voluntary guidelines; and provide a scientific platform to monitor vessel activities around marine mammals. To learn more, please visit their website and read Soundwatch’s most recent Contract Report and publications.

To learn more about the positions and to apply, visit their Job/Internship/Volunteer Opportunities page.

Seasonal Vessel Operator/Educator

Vessel operators/educators will conduct seasonal vessel patrols, educate boaters on regional/federal Be Whale Wise guidelines and regulations, and collect data while monitoring vessel activity around whales. Data from this critical program characterizes vessel activity trends around endangered killer whales and other marine wildlife. The data are used to promote better boater compliance and to inform marine mammal management strategies such as state and federal vessel laws and guidelines.

Vessel operators/educators report to the Soundwatch Program Coordinator and work cooperatively with other museum staff, program interns, and volunteers. This position is classed as Seasonal Field Work Contractor, May-September. The hourly wage for this position is commensurate with experience and starts at $25.00/hour.

Vessel Operator/Educator Responsibilities

Seasonal field operations:

• Be able to work approximately 35-40 hours per week, Mon-Sun. Holiday work required.
• Conduct full- or half-day on-the-water educational patrols and monitoring of vessel activity and whale behavior May-September. Possibility for extension into October.
• Maintain daily boat patrol protocols and data collection procedures on whale watching and marine wildlife viewing trends, regulation and guideline compliance measurements, and educational materials distribution.
• Prevent wildlife disturbance by intercepting boaters before they are within close vicinity of wildlife.
• Maintain equipment and collection materials.
• Work directly with Soundwatch volunteers and interns, leading daily operations.
• Dictate data collection to other crew members to record.

Small Vessel operations:

• Operate 17’-20’ outboard vessels.
• Perform routine maintenance and minor boat/engine repair, maintain vessel/engine/operation and safety equipment, communicate with coordinator and/or mechanic for troubleshooting advice, provide vessel operation briefing to interns and volunteers.

Education/Outreach on marine stewardship:

• Distribution of educational materials on-the-water, at regional boating facilities and to specific organizations.
• Communicate with the public and boaters while underway.
• Participate in local education and outreach events.

Soundwatch field data-entry:

• Assist with field season data entry.
• Assist with training of volunteers and interns. Keep track of volunteer activities for future reporting.

Applicant Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marine/wildlife sciences.
• Valid US passport or an enhanced driver’s license (for the entirety of their position) and CPR/First Aid certification.
• Strong situational awareness and attention to detail.
• Ability to lead effectively and demonstrate professionalism in demanding environments.
• Capable of lifting 40 lbs, standing and being outside on a small vessel for over 8 hours.
• Familiarity with recovery priorities related to endangered SRKW.
• Minimum requirement: Washington state boater license.
• Minimum requirement: 3 years of small vessel operation with experience operating around marine wildlife.
  • Soundwatch operates under a NOAA NMFS research permit which requires vessel operator candidates to have relevant field experience. The successful candidate must be approved for operation by NMFS as a condition for hiring.

Summer Internship

This internship is located in Friday Harbor, Washington. Interns are responsible for securing their own housing and their own mode of transportation on San Juan Island. This position includes a stipend to offset housing costs. Once accepted, TWM staff will be able to assist interns in locating suitable housing options.

Intern Responsibilities

• Perform a variety of tasks related to data recording and photography in the field aboard small research vessels.
• Perform a variety of tasks related to data entry and photo filing in a research office setting.
• Participation and staffing of public outreach and education events throughout the field season.

Applicant Requirements

• Commit to at least 12 weeks between May and September.
• Be able to work approximately 35-40 hours per week, Mon-Sun. Holiday work required.
• At least 18 years of age, able to lift 40 lbs., able to swim, and not easily susceptible to seasickness. This position requires extensive boating aboard small vessels and is not suitable for those prone to seasickness.
• Ability to spend long hours on the water aboard a small vessel, sometimes in demanding seasonal conditions. Field days occur four to five times a week and may exceed eight hours per day.
• Exhibit strong communication skills, professionalism, and diplomacy.
• Familiar with Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel) and Google Workspace.
• US passport, enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or enhanced identification card (EID) is required. Documents must be valid through December 2026.
• Up-to-date CPR/First Aid certification.
• Preference will be given to undergraduates or recent graduates in the marine or wildlife sciences.
• Knowledge of the area and Southern Resident killer whales is preferred but not required.
• A state boater license or equivalent safe boating card is preferred but not required.
• Wildlife photography experience is a plus but not required.