Tattoos Archives - Seattle Aquarium

Marine ink-spiration: Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium, part 4—volunteer edition

Posted on September 25, 2025October 16, 2025 by Emma Leiser

The Seattle Aquarium is incredibly fortunate to have an amazing team of talented, passionate volunteers who generously give their time in support of our conservation mission. They share their knowledge and enthusiasm with our guests, help prepare meals of sustainable seafood for the animals in our care, dive in our habitats, meet members of the public on local shorelines and so much more. As it turns out, some of them also show their love for the marine environment with fin-tastic tattoos!

So we’re adding to our ongoing series of web stories about folks at the Aquarium with marine-themed tattoos (check out part 1, part 2 and part 3 if you haven’t already) with this special installment, devoted to volunteers.

We hope you enjoy learning about these three outstanding volunteers and the stories behind their ink. Please be on the lookout for another installment devoted to volunteers later this fall!

“I love that I can bridge the gap and help people get comfortable interacting with the animals in the touch pools. I always tell them that this is something that they’ll probably never get to do again unless they’re at a tide pool or another aquarium.”

—Mia Redfern (she/her)

My mom is Japanese, and my dad’s American, from Washington state. He’s in the military and they met in Misawa, Japan. My mom gave me my middle name, Umi, which means ‘ocean’ in Japanese. Growing up, we traveled around the world, and I’m always drawn to a body of water, no matter where I go.

When I started college, I majored in art. But as I was taking classes, I realized that I wanted to use it more as an outlet to express myself—not something I wanted to get evaluated in.

And I thought, ‘What’s something impactful that I’m also really passionate about?’ I landed on marine biology and, through my studies, realized that it would be really cool to have tattoos that remind me of why I wanted to get that degree.

I’m living with my dad here in Seattle right now, saving to move to France and get my master’s. I came to the Aquarium as a kid, and when I went back as an adult, I thought it would be a cool place to volunteer—and wouldn’t make me feel like my degree was going to waste. I love the atmosphere and the people, just giving back to the community.

I believe that’s important because I grew up in a lifestyle where everyone accepted everyone. I traveled a lot as a military kid, getting to see so many different cultures and religions, and, through that, I realized that community is a really great way of making everyone feel welcomed.

I love people’s stories, and my tattoos have connected me a lot to other people. Sometimes they know facts about the animals, and other times, I tell them something that’s new to them. It’s great to connect with people like that.

—Mia Redfern (she/her)
Tattoo by @scorpionandroses

“I wish I’d found this place years ago. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 400. Every time I come here for a shift, I spend the whole time smiling. It's just so fun.”

—James Smith (he/him)

I started swimming when I was 4—I love being in the water. ‘Swim or die’ is my mantra, and I believe it’s a big part of why I’ve gotten to be this old and still have so much freedom of movement.

But, you know, I’ve learned more in the month that I’ve been volunteering at the Aquarium than the entire time I’ve spent in the water. Watching children—budding marine scientists—and people who have never experienced the ocean getting to touch these creatures, learn about them… it’s going to change how they see the ocean. My wife said, ‘You’ve found your home.’

A few years ago, I was swimming across a crescent-shaped bay on the Big Island, a place I swim often. There was an onshore wind, so strong that sand was blowing across the ocean’s surface. I couldn’t look toward shore because I’d get a face full of it. When I lifted my arm, I’d get blown over sideways. The bottom was churned up so I couldn’t tell how deep the water was, and I couldn’t really see where I was because of the waves.

I got partly across the bay but couldn’t see my regular landmarks to know how much farther I had to go. And, suddenly, a great big honu—that’s Hawaiian for sea turtle—rose up out of the gloom below. It turned to look at me and made a sharp right.

I followed, and it led me all the way back into shore. When I could see better, I realized I’d gotten blown out of the mouth of the bay and into the open ocean. If I hadn’t seen the honu, I would have just kept swimming.

That’s why I got this tattoo, a honu petroglyph—an early present for my 80th birthday.

—James Smith (he/him)
Tattoo by @southseastattoohilo

“I’ve always loved animals—I came to the Aquarium all the time as a kid. Now, I call my mom after almost every volunteer shift to tell her what happened. I always have interesting stories to share!”

—Molly Biedscheid (she/her)

I grew up in Mukilteo, hearing that great blue herons were symbols of luck for fishermen and sailors. I like them because, even with their big bodies and skinny legs, they still hold themselves up, just being resilient creatures, even if it looks like the odds are against them.

High school was pretty hard for me. The beginning of college was okay, but then COVID happened. I was in my last quarter of freshman year— they said we’d do our finals online, then come back after spring break. You know what happened with that.

When we got back to campus, I tried to find ways to connect with people. I became president of the biology club and was a technical writer for a medical engineering lab. In my senior year, I thought, ‘I guess I’m doing pretty well.’ I never really saw myself making it that far, so it was a big achievement to get to that point! I got the tattoo to remind myself about being resilient when the odds are against you.

My degree is in biology. Right now I work in human medicine, as a pathology tech and, in addition to the Aquarium, I volunteer with PAWS and the Sno-King Marine Mammal Response team. I’m looking to enter a doctorate degree program to pursue research and medicine. I’d like to get into public health studies on animals and be able to relate that to human health.

I started volunteering at the Aquarium as a way to educate and connect with people, and to learn more myself. It makes me happy when I can help someone discover something. I like being able to show kids that it’s okay to touch the animals in the tide pools. If they’re scared, I say, ‘It’s okay, I’ll touch with you.’ It’s really cool to see people get inspired.

—Molly Biedscheid (she/her)
Tattoo by @a.ink.tattoo_lizzy

We thank Mia, James and Molly for sharing their stories with us—and all the volunteers who enhance every visit to the Aquarium. Interested in becoming a volunteer yourself? Learn more on our website!

Marine ink-spiration: Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium, part 3—tropical edition

Posted on January 29, 2025October 16, 2025 by Emma Leiser

Last year, we shared two web stories about Seattle Aquarium team members who show their passion for marine life with a variety of incredible tattoos (check out part 1 and part 2 if you haven’t already!).

Now, to continue celebrating the recent opening of our Ocean Pavilion, we bring you our next installment, featuring some of the people who work with the tropical animals in our care—and their amazing tattoos.

We hope you enjoy hearing from these four outstanding folks and learning the stories behind their ink!

“When I got this tattoo, I just wanted to showcase the ridiculousness of the idea that sharks are man-eaters. It was foretelling my future and I didn't even know it.”

—Amber Ginther (she/her), supervisor of tropical fish and invertebrates

Working with sharks so closely, I get to see how great they are—just so majestic and inspiring. The love that I’ve developed for them is really understanding their gentle nature and that, like any other animal, they’re just trying to live life. To me, they have a really calming presence. The way they move through the water, how they’re alert to their surroundings. And their playfulness. I wish people knew how gentle they are. And that there’s really no reason to fear them.

Sharks, in some of their social systems—especially great hammerheads—are very matriarchal. The females hold the dominant role in the school. At least that’s what we’ve noticed with sharks in human care. Maybe the world should take note.

I’m a descendant from the Southern Tewa tribe and Mescalero Apache tribe and recently did a project on Indigenous science, how it evolved, and how we can incorporate it to see things from an animal’s perspective. I think that’s the way we do better at animal care, through deep empathy. And part of Indigenous science is really conjuring that empathy.

As an Indigenous person, I connect personally with the Aquarium’s mission. A lot of Indigenous people are trying to keep their traditions alive, traditions that have disappeared over time because of colonization. I think that’s why conservation is so important to me—it’s more than just conserving an animal or land, it’s about conserving tradition and the traditional knowledge that has helped us manage lands since time immemorial.

We’re conserving these things not to conserve the past or the memory, but to help the future move forward without them completely disappearing. I feel very close with the mission at the Aquarium—in my own personal mission of recapturing traditional ways of being.

—Amber Ginther (she/her), supervisor of tropical fish and invertebrates

“I’ve always had a curiosity and love for the ocean. I grew up in a landlocked state so it wasn't something that I could just go and see.”

—Makayla Taylor (she/her), aquarist

I remember going to an aquarium for the first time as a kid. I was enamored with everything—watching people feed the fish and the sharks and thinking, “Wow, I want to do that.”

I did an internship here at the Aquarium in 2020, then got a part-time job at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. That’s where I first encountered spotted eagle rays—two of them are actually here now. It’s really cool that it worked out like that because I’ve known them for almost five years and gotten to work with them quite extensively.

A lot of people don’t know that spotted eagle rays are identified by their head spots: Each pattern is unique. For my tattoo, I worked with the artist to make sure that the spots are in the same pattern as one of the eagle rays that I worked with closely at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

The best parts of my job are definitely feeding and training. Seeing the animals make those connections and feel more comfortable with us, building that relationship of trust. Because they’re so intelligent, training them for their feeds and different veterinary procedures has been an incredible journey. The three spotted eagle rays in our care have pretty different personalities. One of them is rambunctious. One is more even. And the juvenile is a healthy mix of the other two.

But they all love clams. We feed them the whole clam—shell and everything. They’ve got these crushing plates, kind of like a row of teeth, on the top and bottom. They use them like a nutcracker, basically, and just crunch up the clams. They need crunchy food to help them shed their teeth, so they crush the shells and eat the clam inside. They love it.

—Makayla Taylor (she/her), aquarist
Tattoo by Jasmine, @inkedbyjasmine

“Just because we live here, it doesn't mean that animals on the other side of the ocean aren't affected by our actions. It's important to view it all as one system.”

—Casey Zinkievich (she/her), aquarist

My dad took me fishing when I was little and the first time I saw a bass, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. From there, I just got really into fish. Not even pretty, tropical ones—weird, ugly freshwater fish that you see in lakes and rivers. That’s why I was so into it when my first job was with freshwater biology even though I specialized in marine biology.

I was hired by the Missouri conservation department and they had a side project for critically endangered pallid sturgeon. Learning about them and then actually seeing them blew me away. They’re so weird and ancient-looking that you wouldn’t really expect them to have personalities, but they definitely do.

It’s not tropical versus temperate or freshwater versus marine: I’m equal opportunity—I love all fish. I work with tropical fish now but I’ll always have a special place in my heart for sturgeon.

The reason I started to care about these creatures was because my dad took me fishing when I was a kid and I understood that these animals are important. We need to take care of them. Maybe not everyone gets that opportunity or would be inspired by seeing a bass. But when you come to the Aquarium and see these amazing animals that you might never get to see in the wild, it really makes you appreciate them and want to protect them. And it’s my job to make sure they have the best life possible, so when people come to the Aquarium, they can be inspired by happy, healthy animals that are thriving.

—Casey Zinkievich (she/her), aquarist

“The biggest thing we can do is educate people. Showing them these animals and their habitats so they know it's not scary and dangerous. It's just this other world that we share a planet with.”

—Charmaine von Kriegenbergh (she/her), associate curator of tropical fish and invertebrates

When I was little, we were watching an episode of Reading Rainbow where LeVar Burton talks to a marine biologist. I asked my mom, “What does that mean?” She told me and I said, “Great, I’m going to do that.” In college, I got a bachelor’s in biological sciences with a marine biology emphasis.

The bowmouth guitarfish on my arm is in honor of Rhina, the one we have here. I was her primary aquarist and developed her training plan—I just fell in love with her. It’s my first tattoo of an animal that I’ve worked with.

Bowmouth guitarfish are unique animals and the first thing we learned was that they are incredibly messy. Their diet is 60 to 80% crustaceans—shrimp and Dungeness crab in the shell, Pacific spiny lobster with the carapace—and they can digest it, but a lot gets pooped out with big chunks of shell. Rhina also leaves a trail of shells in her wake while she’s eating. She’s just really messy.

The day she moved into the Ocean Pavilion, I was snorkeling and helped guide her out of the acclimation pool and into The Reef habitat. I was sobbing underwater, seeing her swim out. It was such an exciting moment and I was so proud of the team, how everyone worked together to accomplish it so smoothly.

I think giving our guests the opportunity to really connect with the animals in our care is the biggest impact we can make. Going to aquariums as a kid and getting the opportunity to see and learn about animals that I never would have seen otherwise is what made me love them. It’s why I wanted to get into this this field.

—Charmaine von Kriegenbergh (she/her), associate curator of tropical fish and invertebrates
Tattoo by Tasi Tautolo, @tasitoss
Zebra shark, tiger shark, hammerhead shark and manta ray tattoos by Alexandra Grace, @alexandrastabs

Want to learn more about spotted eagle rays, bowmouth guitarfish and sturgeon? Visit the Seattle Aquarium to see them in person—who knows, you may even spot one of the team members featured here! Plan a visit today.

Marine ink-spiration: Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium, part 2

Posted on January 24, 2024October 16, 2025 by Emma Leiser

A few weeks ago, we introduced you to some of the many Seattle Aquarium team members who are so passionate about the marine environment that they’ve gotten tattoos representing the animals nearest and dearest to their hearts.

Now we’re back with our second installment—featuring a group of five outstanding individuals who met with us to share their tattoos and the inspiration behind them. We hope you enjoy getting to know these folks and reading the stories behind their ink!

“My tattoo is the scientific name for sea otters: Enhydra lutris. They got me into this field of work that I love, and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.”

—Kelli Lee (she/her), animal care specialist

“This is going to sound silly but, growing up, I enjoyed watching a show called The OC. In the last season, my favorite character started advocating for southern sea otters, which are found along the California coast.

I grew up in the Bay Area, more inland, so I didn’t have much exposure to marine mammals. When I first saw the show, I didn’t know exactly what a sea otter was. Obviously, I thought they were really cute—and then I started looking into them, how they’re a keystone species and how living so close to civilization has created challenges for them.

I pursued my first internship, at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, because it was with sea otters. I wanted to get experience with them to see if I wanted to work with terrestrial or marine animals.

I loved them right away. But it was working with other species in that section of the zoo, like harbor seals and puffins, that made me really want to stay with this. So l have sea otters to thank for me getting into the aquarium field and specifically focusing on marine animals.

My favorite is training with the animals, especially new behaviors. You have to be thoughtful of what species you’re working with and the individual, because everybody is different, with their own ways and speeds of learning. It’s really cool.

Working with my team is also something that I really enjoy. We help each other through the ups and downs of work and our lives too. It’s great to have support like that at work.”

—Kelli Lee (she/her), animal care specialist
Tattoo by Kendal Tull-Esterbrook at Lilith Tattoo, Instagram @lub.dub.tattoo

“A cuttlefish felt right: I had a job that I enjoyed in an organization that I appreciated during an important transition in my life. It all came together at the same time.”

—Jessica Williams (she/her), philanthropy data entry specialist

“I’ve always loved cephalopods. Anything in that group—I love it if it’s free-flowing and tentacle-y. I think they’re so graceful and magical. Especially cuttlefish. I love how they look like spaceships, the way they hover at a very specific angle. I can’t get enough of them.

I moved to Seattle looking for a clean slate. You may notice that my tattoo has the colors of the transgender flag. I moved here because I’m trans and this is a wonderful place to transition. I have family up here. Everything came together: Seattle was the place for me to go next.

I was floating, not sure what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of mission I wanted to serve, the kind of place and people I wanted to be around. For me, that’s the Seattle Aquarium. I love my team. It’s such a good group and I’m happy to work with people I’m so frequently in awe of.

I like that the Aquarium is trying to change the conversation around animals that people don’t necessarily have a lot of empathy for. I love the concept of not lower intelligence, but different intelligence—and that we have the opportunity to widen people’s idea of what animal intelligence is.

I also think the Aquarium is elevating the conversation that a lot of people living next to a body of water are having: ‘This is valuable. We need to save it.’ It’s not just us working here who care—there’s a community of people around us who want to see this place succeed and help the marine environment thrive.”

—Jessica Williams (she/her), philanthropy data entry specialist
Tattoo by Grace Peters at Grace Does Tattoos, Instagram @gracedoestattoos

“It reignited that passion in me: ‘Here’s an opportunity where I can actually make a difference and see that difference in the world.’ ”

—Emma Leiser (she/they), web intern

“I got my kelp tattoo because I’ve always felt strongly about our ocean and environment and wanted a little something on my body to represent that. I love that kelp is such a vital part of so many different ecosystems. It’s shelter, it’s food…it’s a beautiful resource for so many different creatures, and I just think that’s super neat.

I was a very science-driven kid. In high school, I took a marine biology class, which was really cool because I was at a small, rural, poor school—we didn’t even have a physics class. But we had an amazing teacher with a degree in marine ecology. She had a full roster but was so passionate that she wanted to teach marine biology too. That was an incredible experience for me as a young kid in inland California, three hours from the coast.

Growing up, we never really went on vacations but we did go tide pooling occasionally, and that was—oh my gosh, so magical. That’s why I love that the Aquarium has programs like the Beach Naturalist program. Just giving kids and families opportunities to explore what’s in their local environment. It’s one thing to read and learn about it, and it’s entirely different to actually experience it and make that connection with your local waters and all the creatures living there.

I saw the opening here at the Aquarium and got so excited because I love the work that’s being done here—and I didn’t even know about half of it yet. I just really desperately wanted to work somewhere that was actually fighting to make a difference.”

—Emma Leiser (she/they), web intern
Tattoo by Callie Little at Good Habits Tattoo, Instagram @goshcallie

“I've always had a passion for marine life, but didn't always have a lot of opportunities to experience it, growing up in Minnesota. Little bits of my history and my love of animals carried me to the point of wanting to get a beluga whale tattoo.”

—Ben Swenson-Klatt (they/them), annual fund officer

“I have a particular affinity for beluga whales, which goes all the way back to my early childhood. My parents would read the book Baby Beluga to me and I had the joy of getting to see them at the Shedd Aquarium when I was young. My parents like to joke that I broke down in tears because I was so excited to see them. I’ve always just loved them so much.

I have a tattoo artist friend and pitched the idea of a beluga whale wearing a hat. My fun story is that I had already booked the appointment when I was in the process of interviewing, and I got the tattoo on the day that the Aquarium offered me the annual fund officer job. It definitely felt like a wonderful coincidence.

I fully believe that there is no action too small to take to protect our environment and, obviously, things like recycling make a big difference. But putting your money where it matters, I think, is a really important thing. Even something small really can make a big difference.

I look at fundraising as a way to organize collective care around things that are important to a community. And, for me particularly, I think that something that’s really inspiring about the Aquarium is that there’s this care in the Seattle community for our environment. We’re blessed to live so close to these incredible natural features. Having an organization that’s on Puget Sound and taking care of it—I think that’s a really important thing for the city to believe in.”

—Ben Swenson-Klatt (they/them), annual fund officer
Tattoo by Gabby Clarke, Instagram @_honeydewd_

“Sunfish are such cool, unique animals. I think it's inspiring that they start as itty-bitty plankton and grow into the heaviest bony fish in the ocean.”

—Kaitlin Brawley (she/her), aquarist

“The reason I get tattoos is mostly to mark new chapters in my life and commemorate things that are important to me. In some cases they celebrate new jobs, places and experiences; others helped me find closure from loss or big life transitions. Whatever the reason, they always end up being very special to me.

The sunfish was one I had wanted for a while. To me, sunfish represent big things growing from small things. And they truly embody the ‘just keep swimming’ mentality, so they’re special to me in that way. I moved around a lot as a kid because my dad was military, so I’ve done a lot of starting small and just swimming until I get things figured out. Bigger things come from that.

I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was 20. So I had a learning disability that impacted my grades and ability to study, to the point where I almost had to drop out of college. Then, after I got diagnosed and figured some things out, I got my life rolling on a better track. I ended up doing an internship with Monterey Bay Aquarium and moved to Hawai‘i to pursue diving and then, finally, the job here.

I think aquariums play an important role in connecting people to nature and getting them to care about it. Being part of that mission is something I really appreciate. Anytime I talk to someone and they say, ‘Oh, we love going to the Seattle Aquarium,’ it makes me happy to be part of that.”

—Kaitlin Brawley (she/her), aquarist
Tattoo by Anthony Bending at Lady Luck Tattoo, Instagram @ladylucktattoohawaii

Read part 1 of our Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium series!

Interested in joining the people featured in our web story with a job at the Seattle Aquarium? No tattoos required! Visit our careers page to see our latest open roles.

Marine ink-spiration: Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium, part 1

Posted on January 10, 2024October 16, 2025 by Emma Leiser

When we say that some Seattle Aquarium team members wear their love for the marine environment on their sleeves, we mean it literally. And it doesn’t stop there! As it turns out, a good number of Aquarium staff members show their love for the ocean and its inhabitants with some pretty incredible tattoos—on sleeves, arms, legs and more.

In fact, when we put out a call for people who would be interested in sharing their tattoos—and the inspiration behind them—in a web story, the response was so strong that a series was clearly in order.

Here we bring you “Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium, Part 1.” We hope you enjoy getting to know these four folks and discovering the stories behind their ink!

"I’ve always liked the parallel of flowers and sharks: something that's so stereotypically beautiful and something that's portrayed so poorly in media."

—Alijah Benbrook (she/they), youth engagement mentor

“I like to talk about how hippos statistically kill more people than sharks do, and that you’re more likely to get struck by lightning twice in your lifetime than you are to get attacked by a shark. Stats like that can help people think about it in perspective.

The top of my tattoo is an Indo-Pacific leopard shark, which actually fits nicely because that’s the species that the Aquarium is helping to restore. The bottom is a blacktip reef shark, my favorite species of shark and the first larger species I ever saw in real life, when I was 11. And then my favorite flower: white lilies. Whenever I see them, I think of my mom. She had them around the house all the time when I was growing up. She was a single mom, so we’re very close.

I’ve had a fun path with the Aquarium. I was 5 the first time I did marine summer camp. I came every summer until I was too old, then I joined the Youth Ocean Advocates program, became an adult volunteer, worked in the gift shop—and now I’m on staff.

I think doing those youth development programs really shifted my gears because, when I was little, the one obvious pathway for a career in marine science was research. The Aquarium’s youth programs showed me that other paths were possible and brought me out of my shell. It feels very full circle because I wouldn’t be who I am without that type of mentorship—and it feels really good to give that mentorship to other kids.”

—Alijah Benbrook (she/they), youth engagement mentor
Tattoo by Zezi at Finer Things Tattoo, Instagram @zezitattoo

"I love the ocean. It’s so unimaginably huge and powerful, with this sense of peacefulness about it. There's something about it that—it’s funny, it’s the opposite word—is so grounding."

—Mike Strassburger (he/him), senior graphic designer

“When my wife and I travel, the ocean is almost always involved. We went to the Big Island a few years back and I felt extra connected to Hawai‘i and my family there. For the first time, it felt like another home.

I’d been thinking for a long time about a sleeve tattoo and after that trip, it all just kind of came together. My wife and I had been going through really tough times with our youngest kiddo, who we almost lost. So the seed of life symbol inside the sea turtle has a lot of meaning. And the turtle itself was an easy choice because they’re amazing, peaceful, beautiful creatures. A great conduit for me to appreciate life and my roots in Hawai‘i.

If I go snorkeling and see one, it feels extremely personal. You’re underwater, you feel completely alone and there’s a sense of, ‘It’s only me here. I can’t talk to anybody. I don’t see or hear anybody. I’m just in this space…and with me is this turtle.’ You can’t help but feel a super special connection, being in such a private zone and experiencing it with a turtle.

Feeling a sense of connection is a big driver for me. My job at the Aquarium is trying to help make the best possible experience for our guests through graphic design—and even if I’m just creating artwork on a computer, I know it’s connected to something larger. We have a mission and people are furthering it from every level. I like being a contributor to that.”

—Mike Strassburger (he/him), senior graphic designer
Tattoo by Mua Posala at Paka Polynesian Tattoo, Instagram @paka_polynesian

"I think great blue herons are really graceful, very cool birds. They're also kind of awkward and dorky, and I like that too."

—Shelby Kremenich (she/her), government relations coordinator, 2022–2023

“I studied environmental education at Western, up in Bellingham. Some of the lessons I did were about great blue herons and eelgrass, and how important they are in the marine environment. I especially liked learning about herons. There’s a rookery in Bellingham and I visited it a lot. So a heron felt like a natural choice for my first tattoo.

I was quite an activist in college, did a lot of protests. I got involved in the political community through that—especially the environmental political community—and got connected through folks I knew. Someone reached out to me near the end of my college program said, ‘Hey, we need a campaign manager for this person, do you want to do it?’ I did, and it ended up leading me to where I am now.

After I graduated in 2017, I ran campaigns in Whatcom County for three years. I worked on a state senate race where the candidate lost by just 48 votes—seriously. I’ve also worked for Congresswoman DelBene, Governor Jay Inslee and Senator Patty Murray. Politics is fun. It’s very fast-paced.

What I like about my work at the Aquarium is that it’s a fusion of politics—or, rather, government relations—and what I studied and enjoyed in college: environmental education and marine science. I think of the government relations team as a funding force, helping to fund the Aquarium’s conservation work through government resources. We also maintain relationships with elected officials to help make sure the Aquarium can keep growing its impact.”

—Shelby Kremenich (she/her), government relations coordinator, 2022–2023
Tattoo by Dani Wilson at Rabbit and Thorn Tattoo, Instagram @daniwilsonart

"If you talk about abalone, a lot of people will say, ‘Yum, delicious,’ but there's so much more to know."

—Bailey Johnson (she/her), aquarist

“I tell people how important they are for kelp forest health, and that they’re culturally significant to local tribes. That they used to be much more readily available in Puget Sound and now they’re not. And how we’re partnering to try to boost those numbers again.

I fell in love with pinto abalone when I was in college, working in a research lab. I thought they were excited to see me because when you give them kelp, they rear up and it’s the cutest little thing in the entire world. I was like, ‘These are my jam. I love them.’ So I decided to get a tattoo. My dad named him: Bill the ‘Balone, like baloney.

I also volunteered at the Aquarium during that time but it was when I did an internship here that I knew I’d found the thing I wanted to do. I was a temp for a while, got a relief position, then, earlier this year, there was an opening for a non-diving aquarist role. I’m not a diver—I have Type 1 diabetes and it’s hard enough being a diabetic on land. It was my dream job, and here I am.

The coolest part is that every day is different. You’re an aquarist, but you’re also a plumber or a life support technician, or coming up with a new design for a habitat. You have to be creative and artistic. I also like that we have our pinto abalone hatchery at the Animal Care Center now, and every other week I get to take care of them. I feel like I’m doing something important when I come to work, which is a really nice feeling.”

—Bailey Johnson (she/her), aquarist
Tattoo by Slave to the Needle, Instagram @slavetotheneedle

Read part 2 of our Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium series!

Interested in joining the people featured in our web story with a job at the Seattle Aquarium? No tattoos required! Visit our careers page to see our latest open roles.