While I was looking for summer internships last year, I was thrilled to come across the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation’s summer internship program! Their focus on cetacean research and education really grabbed my attention, and the more I looked into their program, the more my gut told me to apply. Little did I know that after applying, I would be offered a position as a 2020 summer intern!
Although the educational portion of the internship was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we interns were still kept busy! The majority of my time was spent on board a commercial whale watch vessel helping collect data on marine life and debris – both of which were plentiful! There were numerous humpback, finback, and minke whales, as well as Atlantic white-sided dolphins, ocean sunfish, and my now most despised type of marine debris: mylar balloons.
The remainder of my time was spent working on an independent research project regarding humpback whale distribution and abundance in the Gulf of Maine. With that being my first time conducting independent research, I didn’t think I would find anything significant, but I was proven wrong! As it turns out, humpback whale sightings are not quite as random as you may think.
In just 10 short weeks, I had grown to love the entire adventure – the water, the whales, and most importantly, the people! It was undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.
A few months later, after realizing that I wanted to pursue research as an undergraduate and struggling to come up with a project, I reached out to Blue Ocean to see if I could continue my research project from the summer internship program. The answer was yes and we’ve been taking my project to the next level ever since!
Unfortunately, when applying for internships this summer, all of them fell through. Somewhat panicked, I reached out to Blue Ocean and inquired if I could return for a second summer, knowing just how much I enjoyed the program last year and how much more there was that I wanted to learn and to experience. Luckily for me, I was accepted back into the program!
Now that I am back, I have no doubt that I made the right decision to ask if I could return for a second internship. In addition to working again on the commercial whale watch vessel and on my research project, I’ve been able to experience the educational aspect that I wasn’t able to last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a little bit of an introvert, but I have really enjoyed educating people thus far this summer and I look forward to continuing to do so!
The Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation’s summer internship program is truly an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am incredibly honored to have been given this opportunity twice. Not only have I learned so much about myself as a person, but I have learned that this is what I am meant to do for the rest of my life. Thank you Blue Ocean – it has truly been a whale of a tail of a time!
Kaela Preston is a senior at University of Miami majoring in Marine Science and Biology and minoring in Spanish and Climate Science and Policy. She is from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
