For more than two decades, Gina Marie DeJesus has excelled in the fields of animal husbandry and hospitality at Discovery Cove, the sister theme park of SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, where she began as an animal trainer before becoming the zoological supervisor of animal training in 2008. In this role, she oversees direct care of 12 dolphins, manages the health and well-being of 42 total, and supervises all 85 members of the animal training department. In addition, she is in charge of animal-guest interactions, manages guest-related situations and concerns, and ensures all interactions proceed without complications.
Equipped with expertise in zoological management, avian collection supervision, mammal supervision, and animal psychology, Ms. DeJesus has long been proud of the opportunities she has had in her work. She has cared for animals throughout their life stages, including working with new mothers during their birthing processes and caring for baby dolphins, birds, anteaters, and armadillos. Among her professional accomplishments, she highlights her role in assisting with veterinary procedures, specifically her opportunity to assist in drawing blood from the dolphin collection, and conducting extensive research when handling new species so they can thrive there. Through dedicated practice, she was able to perfect the blood-drawing technique and became proficient at drawing blood from cetaceans without holding a veterinary degree, demonstrating her expertise and the depth of training available to animal trainers at Discovery Cove.
Driven by continuous learning and improvement, Ms. DeJesus gravitated toward her profession while a student at Eckerd College, during which time she worked two summers with the sea lion show at the St. Louis Zoo and completed an internship at an animal facility in Mexico. These experiences provided her with hands-on knowledge of animal behavior and training methodologies. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in marine biology in 2002, and additional scuba diving certification, she was hired by Discovery Cove to work with their dolphin collection. Her background in marine science, combined with a minor in psychology, gave her the theoretical foundation and practical skills necessary to excel in animal training and behavioral management ever since.
As her ever-evolving career continues, Ms. DeJesus aspires to advance to a higher supervisory role focused on utilizing her own experience to shape the next generation of professionals in the field, specifically developing future supervisors within an animal training environment. She strives to help them thrive when it comes to guiding their teams in creating exceptional guest experiences. If opportunities within the animal environment are not available, she said she would contribute her leadership expertise to the broader service industry, where she could mentor professionals in developing their capabilities and create strong community experiences.
Outside of her primary job, Ms. DeJesus has been active active as a kickboxing coach since 2021, lending her teaching and physical skills to the organizations Rumble Boxing and Nine Rounds. In addition, she became a boxing instructor at Crunch Fitness in 2025. She has successfully balanced her demanding career and additional work with raising two teenage sons as a single mother. Despite the challenges of working in a fast-paced, time-intensive environment at Discovery Cove, she remains heavily involved in her sons’ extracurricular activities—even volunteering within her son’s high school marching band.