Reader\'s Digest Australia - 06.2019

12 | June• 2019

After holidaying

in G olden Bay,

New Zealand for

decades, Robin,

a retired teacher,

now calls this

magical place

home. Her hobbies

include reading,

gardening,

painting and

writing.

B Y R O B I N

KEOWN

Saving the Whales

Robin Keown experienced unexpected love while

saving stranded whales in Golden Bay

WHEN WE RETIRED TO GOLDEN BAYat the top of

the South Island in 2014, I really wanted to train with

Project Jonah as a volunteer marine mammal medic.

This amazing organisation responds to the hundreds

of whales and dolphins that become stranded on our

local shores. Sometimes the marine mammals become

stranded because of sickness or injury, other times they

just need help getting back out to sea.

It was important to me to learn how to help if I was

ever called upon during mass-whale stranding. I

wanted to be able to assist with the emergency recovery

and refloat of these precious creatures of the sea.

My opportunity came when the dedicated Project PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES