Volunteers at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Photo: Heal the Bay
A volunteer educates onlookers about the inhabitants of the Shark and Ray Tank. Photo: Heal the Bay

Volunteers are vital to the operation of all of the Aquarium's programs. From helping to teach the public to assisting with daily maintenance responsibilities, we simply could not do it without all of our amazing volunteers!

Explore the information on this page to learn how you can become an Aquarium volunteer and of the opportunities where you can help!

Orientation
To find out what the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is all about and how YOU can get involved, you may want to attend an introductory Volunteer Orientation. Orientations are the perfect time to meet aquarium staff and learn more about our volunteer opportunities. Attending an orientation session is suggested but not required.

Orientations are typically held in the month before each training course (usually in January, May and September). Please see the "Orientation Schedule" sidebar at right for the next scheduled Orientations.

Volunteer Training
All volunteers are required to attend the Aquarium’s 12-hour training course, which is offered three times per year (usually in February, June, and October). Trainees learn about ocean ecology, marine animals, aquarium systems and how to teach others about the wonders of the Santa Monica Bay.

Applicants are required to schedule an interview with the Aquarium Volunteer Coordinator. Since space is limited, the top candidates will be admitted to the program. See the "Training Schedule" sidebar at the right for the next training course.

After training is completed, volunteering at the aquarium requires a commitment of at least 10 hours per month for one year. Most volunteers maintain a regular weekly or bi-weekly schedule of 3-5 hours per shift.

Long-term volunteers enjoy a rewarding experience with greater responsibilities and benefits, such as reading stories during public hours, assisting with the training of new recruits, creating arts and crafts projects, making good friends, and more!

Volunteer Opportunities

• Education Volunteers
  These volunteers assist our staff with running interactive educational fieldtrip programs (for school and camp groups) Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 2:00pm.
• Public Programs Volunteers
  These volunteers help our staff run the Aquarium during public hours, birthday parties, and special events, seven days a week.
• Internships
  Interns pursue projects with the Aquarist Department (maintaining tanks and caring for the animals), education programs, or public programs. We offer various internships for students and other highly motivated persons of college age and above.