The Curaçao Dolphin Therapy & Research Center is continuously looking for motivated and qualified people to assist in the therapy program. A therapy assistantship at CDTC is a challenging but rewarding experience. As an assistant, you will carry a great deal of responsibility, and at the same time gain a vast amount of educational experience in your field of interest, while having the opportunity to do tremendously gratifying work that will benefit handicapped individuals.

The marine mammal internship is designed to provide hands-on exposure to marine mammal care, training, and CDTC’s therapy concept. Interns will gain experience working with an international marine mammal training team.

Please find below the offered therapy assistantship and further down on the page the marine mammal internship position:

Therapy Assistant

As a therapy assistant at the CDTC, you have the chance to work together with therapists of different professions, such as physical therapists, psychologists and speech therapists. You will work together with the same therapist and client for a period of 2 weeks. Each daily session (5 days a week) is 2 hours and you have a maximum of 3 sessions per day. During these sessions the role of the assistant is to support the therapist with preparing the session, organizing the materials, working together in the therapy room, assisting from the dock during the water time and taking notes of the session. Besides assisting during the therapy, an assistant will also prepare the work area in the morning and clean up at the end of the day. The working hours (and days) will depend on the number of clients in that period. It can happen that you also need to work during the weekend. Therapy assistants of CDTC receive free accommodation close to the Sea Aquarium Park.

Therapy assistants should meet the following requirements:

• • • • Available for a period of 10 weeks (timeframe is set by CDTC) – Periods are: Jan - March / April - June / July - Sept / Oct - Dec
      • Preferably recently graduated in a medical/therapeutic field such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral/family therapy, speech therapy, psychology or another related field
      • Between the ages of 22 and 35 years old
      • Enjoys working with children and young adults
      • Good physical and mental condition as some physical work in the direct sun might be required
      • Good written and spoken knowledge of English, Dutch and German

If you are interested in an assistantship in 2028, please send an e-mail to assistantship@cdtc.info with your motivation letter, resume (both in English), photo and your preferred time frame.

For the first 2 time frames in 2028 (Jan 03-March 11 / March 13-May 20) Please send your application before January 31, 2027.

Applications for the next 3 periods in 2028 (May 22-July 29 / July 31-Oct 7 / Oct 9-Dec 18) can be sent before April 30, 2027.

Please mention that you apply as a therapy assistant in the subject of your email. Incomplete applications or ones sent outside the mentioned timeframe will not be taken into consideration.

Marine Mammal Internship

The selected candidate is responsible for providing support to the marine mammal training staff.  This internship’s primary purpose is to learn about marine mammal care, training, and the Curaçao Dolphin Therapy & Research Center’s therapy concept. The intern will have the opportunity to experience the position of a marine mammal training intern with an international team.

This position will require a certain level of independence, proactive thinking, and taking responsibility. The internship also requires a sufficient level of personal skills mentioned below:

• Practical, solution-oriented mindset
• Flexibility
• Good communication skills
• Observation skills
• Self-motivated

No previous marine mammal experience is required, but previous animal care experience is preferred. There is no guarantee of any physical animal interaction, and any interaction will be at the discretion of marine mammal training staff.

Compensation: Unpaid

Requirements:

• Must be 20 years or older.
• Recent college graduate OR college junior/senior majoring in life science, psychology, or related animal care field. Comparable to MBO and/or HBO vocational diploma or Bachelor Degree studies.
• Must have a valid passport and driver’s license, good swimming skills, and be able to lift 50 lbs (23 kg).

 Essential Responsibilities:

• Assists marine mammal staff in the overall daily care of the dolphins
• Prepares daily animal diets as instructed
• Observes and may assist in training, husbandry, and medical sessions.
• Participates in pre-session preparations.
• Keeps support areas that are clean, organized, and safe
• Completes educational animal training lecture series building knowledge of operant conditioning
• Designs, implements, and evaluates environmental enrichment under guidance of staff
• Assists with habitat maintenance
• Supports interactive “Family Swim” through informal speaking (briefing)
• Complies with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) pertaining to daily operations and safety
• Undertakes special projects as assigned by internship coordinator
• Other duties as assigned.

Requested Requirements:

• Able to commit to a minimum of at least 10 weeks (12 weeks = full term), Minimum 32 hours per week up to 40 hours a week
• Able to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays
• Able to maintain a positive attitude, good work ethic, sense of responsibility, and a strong willingness to learn
• Have a basic understanding of marine mammal natural history
• Able to comply with CDTC rules and regulations
• Ability to perform physically demanding job duties daily
• Interacts professionally with fellow team members and the public
• Able to find and secure housing for the duration of the internship
• Valid CPR and first aid certification preferred

Identification: Valid Passport, not set to expire in 6 months.

Driver’s license required, with ability to travel to and from work.

Computer skills: Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Language skills: Good written and spoken command of English, knowledge of the Dutch and German language is an advantage

How to Apply:  A complete application includes:

• Internship application with two references listed
• Cover/motivation letter
• Resume/CV
• Photo (optional)

Complete applications should be sent via e-mail to: Sarah Glenn Neidenbach (she/her), Marine Mammal Trainer, sarahg@cdtc.info

Save each file using your last name followed by the document type, for example: Smith_Resume.

Application Deadline: Ongoing