Meet the 2021 WDC Interns!
Every spring and summer, we get to open up our office to interns from all over the world. These interns bring enthusiasm, passion, personal perspectives and hard work as they help us with many different aspects of whale conservation. Unfortunately in 2020, we weren't able to have interns, but the year off gave us the chance to reevaluate how we run our intern program. We are making sure that all of our interns can maintain a source of income during their internship - with the help of a few generous funders (see below) we are able to offer two full-time paid positions focusing on our conservation work. While our science internships are currently unpaid, we've made them part-time so that interns have flexibility in their schedules to hold a paying position simultaneously. We are so excited to switch things up this year and implement these changes that will improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in marine conservation. So with that, let's meet our wonderful 2021 interns!
Meet Nina!
Hometown: Madison, CT
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: I’ve adored whales since I was little, so this is a perfect experience for me to not only keeping learning about them myself, but also spread that knowledge and enthusiasm to different people every day that I’m out on the water.
Favorite whale fact: Whales can't drink salt water so they stay hydrated from the water inside the fish they eat.
Song that pumps me up: American Girl by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Food that I hate: Canned bean sprouts
Meet Julianna!
Hometown: Framingham, MA
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: I wanted to learn more about Whale Sense and how it has helped make people more aware of how we can protect whales during whale watching. I also wanted to learn more about humpback whale identification.
Favorite whale fact: Each humpback whale has a different pattern on the under side of their fluke and that pattern can be used to identify them.
Hogwarts house: Slytherin
First concert: AC/DC
Meet Tori!
Hometown: Pembroke, MA
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: I have always had a love for the ocean and the wonderful creatures that call it home. WDC has given me the amazing opportunity to spend my summer on the water, learning more about whales and aiding in their conservation.
Favorite whale fact: A whale's throat is only about the size of a Frisbee.
Random food I don't like: avocados
First concert: Taylor Swift
Meet Corry!
Hometown: Dalton, MA
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: I want to actively take part in keeping our whales and dolphins safe, and I want to educate the public about whales and dolphins. I want to teach the public about the important factors that whales and dolphins contribute to our oceans, and inform them on how they can help contribute to whale, dolphin, and ocean conservation.
Favorite whale fact: I love how male humpback whales sing songs during the mating season that continuously evolves throughout the season, and that a new song is sung each year.
Hogwarts house: Hufflepuff
Show I can always rewatch: The Office
Meet Brittany!
Hometown: Derwood, MD
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: I wanted to learn first hand about what goes into whale conservation and be a part of the effort to protect these amazing animals.
Favorite whale fact: Orca grandmothers help to teach and feed their grandkids and help their odds of survival.
Hogwarts house: Ravenclaw
Show I can always rewatch: Parks and Rec
Meet Samantha!
Hometown: Whittier, CA
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: I have always wanted to work with wildlife and be a part of the solution when it comes to taking care of not only their environment but them as individuals. WDC does just that and works with many other organizations to promote and ensure the well-being of the marine life in our waters all across the globe. This is how I knew WDC was the place for me.
Favorite whale fact: Orcas from different parts of the world have unique vocal patterns which are unique to their pods. This means not all orcas can understand each other because they do not speak the same “language” just like us as people!
Random food I don't like: Raw oysters
First concert: Prince
Meet Shanya!
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA
Why I wanted to be an intern with WDC: My love for orcas has helped me develop a keen interest in marine conservation. I am specifically invested in WDC's K-12 education efforts because I believe that our ocean's future is in the hands of the younger generation!
Favorite whale fact: Orcas are apex predators and have no known natural predators (except for humans).
Harry Potter House: Gryffindor
Song that pumps me up for the day: Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
Thank you to the generous funding from Adopt Me!, Mercury Learning, The Jessica Rekos Foundation and Island Foundation.
[shariff]
Where is the office located, so I can apply and join next year!!!