Senior Beluga Whale Care & Training Specialist

Join the SEA LIFE Trust team and our beluga whale residents, Little White and Little Grey, as a Senior Animal Care Specialist at the world's first Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland.

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in the care and management of our resident beluga whales while supporting the wider operation of a pioneering marine conservation facility. Working alongside a passionate and experienced team, you will help deliver the highest standards of animal welfare, husbandry, environmental management, and training, while contributing to the ongoing development of the sanctuary.

As a Senior Animal Care Specialist, you will be responsible for all aspects of daily animal care including diet preparation and administration, nutritional planning, medicine administration, behavioural observations, enrichment, training, and detailed record keeping. You will lead the design, construction, implementation, and evaluation of enrichment programmes and contribute to both short and long-term behavioural management plans for our cetaceans.

You will play a key role in maintaining excellent habitat conditions through water quality management, life support system (LSS) monitoring and maintenance, and facility cleaning and sanitation. The position also includes responsibility for transport planning and preparation, audit action planning and execution, and supporting the continuous improvement of animal care practices across the sanctuary.

As a senior member of the team, you will mentor and develop Animal Care Specialists in areas including diving, boat handling, operant conditioning, and advanced husbandry training. You will create and implement training plans, maintain complex husbandry behaviours, and take a solutions-focused approach to overcoming operational challenges and ensuring exceptional standards of animal welfare.

This role is full-time and includes working a regular, fair share of weekends and bank holidays, participation in an emergency call-out rota, and being on-call for life support system support when required.

When applying for positions at the Beluga Whale Sanctuary, please be aware that obtaining a work permit and residence permit can take approximately 8 to 10 months for first-time applicants. This duration may vary based on individual circumstances and the completeness of your application.

• Bachelor's degree in Marine Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, or a related field.
• Significant professional experience in marine mammal care, preferably working with cetaceans.
• Strong knowledge of animal behaviour, welfare, enrichment, operant conditioning, and positive reinforcement training techniques.
• Experience developing and implementing behavioural management and advanced husbandry training plans.
• Proven experience administering medication, maintaining accurate records, and monitoring animal health and welfare.
• Strong understanding of water quality management and life support systems.
• Experience conducting habitat maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation to the highest standards.
• Confident and experienced SCUBA diver with the ability to undertake cleaning and maintenance in both indoor and outdoor habitats.
• Confident boat operator, including experience working in challenging weather conditions and at night.
• Ability to launch, recover, and trailer vessels safely.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, and developing animal care staff.
• Strong organisational skills with experience managing inventories, including diets, medications, and husbandry supplies.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and take a practical, solutions-oriented approach to unexpected challenges.
• CPR and First Aid certification (or willingness to obtain).
• Flexibility to work weekends, holidays, evenings, and participate in on-call duties as required.
• Commitment to the highest standards of animal welfare, conservation, health and safety, and teamwork.