From South Africa to the Southern Ocean

Rosie Kunneke
Deckhand, Bob Barker

During the last few days, I had time to reflect on the past several months of my life and recall the journey that lead to me becoming a deckhand on the Bob Barker.

Two months ago, I resigned from my job as a financial operations manager. The decision to participate in animal activism full-time was one of the easiest decisions I’ve made in my life. I wanted to be a part of an organization that does more than just talk the talk because I believe that while everybody is talking, animals are dying.

I started as an onshore volunteer for Sea Shepherd in South Africa and accepted a volunteer position as a dolphin representative for Africa. A few days after my last corporate workday, I joined the Cove Guardians in Taiji, Japan for three weeks. A couple of weeks later, I joined the Bob Barker crew in Hobart.

Life at sea is exciting for me!  I enjoy being a deckhand and have learned some amazing new skills. Even during rough weather, we spring-cleaned the ship and still ensured all the daily tasks were done. It is always great to see how people with common goals are able to work together as a team even though they come from different countries with unique languages, backgrounds, and cultures. I have met amazing people and will leave with crews-worth of wonderful new friends!