Register for The Whale Museum's In-Person Spring Session of the Marine Naturalist Training Program! The Spring Session runs from April 14-19, 2026, approximately 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM PT each day.
Our marine naturalist training course (MNTP) is an intensive multi-day overview of the natural history of the San Juan Islands and the marine waters of Washington and Southern British Columbia (known as the Salish Sea). This course includes an in-depth treatment of the ecology and conservation of local marine species, presented by highly trained local naturalists, environmental educators, and scientists. The upcoming Spring Session will be fully-in person while the Summer Session will be hybrid. Both sessions will be dynamic and high-quality experiences that leave graduates qualified as a regional professional or volunteer naturalist.
The Spring Session will be fully in-person and will be a mixture of approximately 50% class lectures and 50% field trips.
The main focus of the training is the ecology, current status and conservation of Southern Resident Killer Whales and other local marine species as well as discussions about the environments they live in. The course includes presentations on cetaceans, pinnipeds, otters, intertidal invertebrates, seabirds, and a variety of other topics such as geology and marine conservation. Faculty includes Whale Museum staff, professional naturalists, marine scientists, and environmental educators active in the region.
Can't make the Spring Session? The hybrid Summer Session will have virtual lectures from July 7-11, and optional in-person field trips from July 24-26.
Learn more or register at:
https://whalemuseum.org/products/2026-marine-naturalist-training-program
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