Student Internships At The Aquarium

Internship Reflections at Galway Atlantaquaria, by Alexia Ponce

8 weeks may seem a small time frame for change to happen, however after 8 weeks of working alongside the staff of Galway Atlantaquaria I can say the experience has been full of learning, development, but overall a game changer. 

It has been great to go beyond theoretical learning of lectures, assignments and exams, and have first hand experience on the field. I learned to take over daily activities including food preparation, feeding, data recording and cleaning of tanks. Each task came with its challenges but it brings a great sense of accomplishment to look back and reflect on all the new acquired and developed skills I’m taking with me.

I took part in extra activities like going rock-pooling. Taking the time to take some pictures as well as look around and browse through rocks and pools alongside Grattan Beach and find all sorts of species and even a Hagstone.

I am immensely grateful that I had the opportunity to take part in the ‘Fish Health and Welfare’ training and have a certificate of completion. Staff are constantly being trained and certified to have the best care for the fish and it was greatly appreciated being alongside them. Understanding this area of fish welfare and its indicators, fish anatomy, diseases, and diagnosis, and learning the appropriate tools and methods to take samples for lab work was significant to my experience. 

It’s crazy to think my favorite part of the day would be doing the feeding tours. It is one of the few times where close interaction with the fish is obtained. That definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but was an enjoyable moment talking with the public. It’s a small moment in the day where I get to share my knowledge and show my skills. 

Galway Atlantaquaria was a great place to learn a little bit about the professional work environment. It made everything so much better and easier to have co-workers so kind and friendly, ready to help me in any way possible to make my time enjoyable and full of learning.

Thank you to Galway Atlantaquaria for opening the doors for me and allowing me a sneak-peak of how the business is run behind the scenes.

ENDS

Galway Aquarium in beautiful Salthill, Galway City is proud to work with students seeking real-world experience in animal welfare, enrichment, education, animal conservation, citizen science, and visitor engagement. We would like to thank Alexia for her passion and commitment during her internship.

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