Volunteer

Caring for stranded marine creatures is a major effort at both Mote Marine Laboratory's Dolphin and Whale Hospital and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

You can help.

At the Dolphin and Whale Hospital, animals are cared for around-the-clock and volunteers assist Mote staff in animal care and facility maintenance. At the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital, volunteers perform similar animal care and maintenance duties though round-the-clock care is rarely needed.

Our volunteers include businessmen, nurses, teachers, engineers, policemen, firefighters, housewives, veterinarians, waitresses and students who share a common interest in marine creatures and a desire to help return stranded animals to the wild.

At both rehabilitation hospitals, volunteers can assist staff in the following areas:
Beach Rescue of Live Animals
Animal Care During Rehabilitation
Carcass Recovery
Necropsies (animal autopsies)
Water Quality and Life Support Systems Maintenance
Training

Volunteering
Caring for stranded animals requires specialized training. Potential volunteers at both hospitals are required to take an Animal Handler class that covers such topics as basic animal anatomy and physiology, live stranding response, animal husbandry, medical procedures, release, reintroduction and animal tracking. The class is offered three or four times each year and is taught by Mote scientists, veterinary staff and animal care staff. The cost for the class is $75 and includes teaching materials, Animal Care Handbook and T-shirt.

Prospective volunteer candidates must be at least 18 years old and meet certain health and physical criteria. If you are interested in becoming a Dolphin and Whale Hospital and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital volunteer, or taking the Animal Handler Class, please e-mail animalcare@mote.org.

Internships
The hospitals also offer internships to undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, animal care, biology or associated fields. An internship provides students with the opportunity to participate in dolphin, whale and sea turtle care and rehabilitation, and to observe veterinarians and scientists conducting research in marine and veterinary science. For more information on student internships, go to the Mote Intern Information page or contact the Intern Coordinator at intern@mote.org.

Other Volunteer Opportunities at Mote
Mote Marine Laboratory has openings for volunteers in a great number of areas — from office work, to assisting in research to interacting with guests visiting Mote Aquarium. Click here if you'd like to learn more about the volunteer program or e-mail the volunteer coordinator at volunteerinfo@mote.org.

Other Ways to Help
We can't float alone. Not only does nursing sick sea turtles and marine mammals back to health take hours of volunteer efforts, it can also be a costly proposition. Dollars to feed the hospitalized animals and provide them the proper veterinary medications are always needed. Click the link below to help.