By Jonathan Bell
Published Apr 10, 2015 at 8:00 am (Updated Apr 10, 2015 at 11:04 am)

Kate Cooper credits her time at the Bermuda Museum, Aquarium and Zoo for helping her to secure a
full-time job at Deep Sea World in Scotland. Here she can be seen tending to one of Bermuda's
resident harbour seals, Pebbles - who at 21 years is the same age as Ms Cooper.

When Bermudian Kate Cooper settles down to her new job training seal pups and diving in the tanks at Scotland’s Deep Sea World, she will have her early start in Bermuda’s own aquarium to thank for the opportunity.

Experience is key when it comes to securing the coveted role of an aquarist, who tends to the marine life and their aquarium homes. Hundreds will apply at a time for a single position.

“Deep Sea World is similar in some ways to the aquarium here: small tanks, big tanks and then the seals,” Ms Cooper said.

“It’s a nice small town on the coast, close enough to Edinburgh.” While she has not spent time in Scotland before, her four years at Bangor University in Wales pursuing a master’s degree in zoology and conservation has accustomed her to more temperate climates than the balmy waters of Harrington Sound.

Ms Cooper, 21, (right) got her start at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo through its junior volunteer programme in 2007, while she was a student at Bermuda High School.

She kept volunteering and working. “Probably my favourite part of the job is training the seals — I was really lucky because of all the experience I had with the aquarium here and the great mentors I worked with.”

Deep Sea World’s seals are younger than Bermuda’s: our youngest seal is 21, while the Scottish aquarium’s eldest resident is 23 — and two of them are just months old.

“It’s going to be very exciting getting to train seal pups,” Ms Cooper said, speaking to The Royal Gazette as she prepared to head back to Britain on Sunday. She will start at Deep Sea World this summer.

The popular Scottish aquarium stands beside the Firth of Forth in the village of North Queensferry.

It is well known for its lengthy underwater viewing tunnel and its resident sharks.