“We’re trying to figure out why some of the younger animals in the wild don’t make it to adulthood,” explains Odell. “We hope to have pups here in a couple of years, and we want the females to let us collect milk so we can analyze it. We’re teaching them to lie at and present their bellies.” Odell also trains them to present their flippers for examination, open their mouths on command, and sit still for blood drawings.

But the most fun animals are the penguins. “They each have their own unique personality. They’re exactly like people in that way,” she says. Her preferred penguin is Green Red, named according to the aquarium’s color-coded identification system.

While five staff members run the “intimate encounters,” Odell is one of only two trainers. They teach the penguins to jump onto a scale to be weighed, and sit quietly while blood samples are drawn.

The main qualities of a good penguin trainer are patience, open-mindedness, and dedication. Although eight-hour days are typical, Odell says, “with animals you never know. If an animal is sick, you might work 14-hour days until it gets well.”

And, while it’s not wrestling crocodiles, there is an element of danger. Asked if she has ever been bitten by a penguin, Odell promptly replies, “Just about every day.” Even Green Red is not above giving his friend a small nip on the leg. Sea lion bites are less frequent, but more painful. “I’ve only been bitten by a Steller once. I was paying attention to another animal and talking to a visitor, and it wanted attention. I got a couple of teeth marks and a large bruise.”

While her job is too interesting to leave right now, Odell is thinking about getting a master’s degree in animal behavior. You could say she’s already something of an expert!

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