We are looking for passionate ocean defenders who aren’t afraid of hard work, no pay, long hours, dangerous conditions and extreme weather. We need volunteers motivated by the fight to defend, conserve and protect our seas and marine wildlife from the many threats facing them today. Sea Shepherd operates on very limited resources, most of them going directly to maintain and operate our fleet. Our volunteer crew members are key to the success of our direct-action campaigns!

Sea Shepherd’s fleet is crewed by volunteers of all backgrounds from over two dozen countries and five continents. While the average age is 30, volunteers range in age from 19 to 61 years old. Women make up almost half of our ships’ crew, including captains, engineers and officers. While preference is given to technically-skilled volunteers for positions such as engineers, navigators, radio operators, cooks and medics, we also need deckhands to keep the ship running smoothly. Previous experience working on board a ship is not required if you’re willing to learn new skills!

Positions Available
There are seven primary areas on our ships: Bridge, Deck, Engine Room, Galley, Communications, Aviation and Media. We are looking for navigators, sailors, engineers, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, welders, cooks, doctors, medics or nurses, small boat operators, helicopter pilots, scuba divers, photographers, videographers, computer and networking specialists, electronics hobbyists and experts, software developers, radio and antenna technicians, and even a few unskilled dedicated Ocean Defenders who are willing to be trained. If you are a ticketed navigator or engineer, please feel free to send your CV directly to [email protected]

We currently have 22 chapters in North America – click on a location on the map to find out more information about the chapter and upcoming events.