What a perfect day to resume the swim. We got back to the swim point at around 10 a.m. Everybody was excited. Everything around us was very calm, the ocean was flat with no wind. We had those conditions only once or twice before. Maks was in the kayak ready for me to jump off Seeker. Paul was in the water as well with a GoPro to capture my first strokes underwater.
I jumped and I first felt the warmth of the water. Maria monitored the temperature and at the end of the day, she told me that it almost reached 28 degrees C.
The visibility was amazing, I could see at least 15 meters down below me. The color of the water was a light blue unlike what we usually experience. The translation of Kuroshio means black current. From the deck usually, the water looks black but not today.
Within the first 5 minutes of the swim a school of colorful fish from different types gathered right below me and followed the streamline. It felt as if I was swimming in an aquarium. I took it as a welcome from the sea. During the rest of the day, a few fish came from time to time and swam below me.
Ty, on the dinghy, came to check on us throughout the day, bringing with him different crew members. While I was swimming the crew took also advantage of those calm conditions to swim beside Seeker. James took the drone out and got some amazing overheads shots.
But even during this perfect day, plastic debris were around us and reminded us why we were here. Maks and I retrieved two big floating buoys. Small fish were living below them. Once we pulled them out of the water, the fish found shelter below me. Once I resumed swimming only the bigger one stayed with me for few minutes and then disappeared.
If I have learned something about the weather conditions is that they never stay the same, I keep my fingers crossed and hope for a calm day tomorrow.
Ben
TODAY
Miles Swam: 23 NMHours Swam: 8 hrs 20 min
SINCE DAY 1
MILES SWAM: 632 NM
HOURS SWAM: 210 hrs
MILES TO GO: 4368
8 thoughts on “[DAY 79] The return of The Swim”-
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We are happy you are back to swim again, Ben! We wish all the best for your adventurous journey. Our kids will be back in September and they will come along with you too.
Enjoy your Ocean!
Paula and Ines
In part due to your journey, my family has stopped using plastic bags when shopping. Keep up the strokes and thank you for your commitment! Here are some facts:
1. Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.
2. It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile.
3. The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.
4..According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling. That means that the average family only recycles 15 bags a year; the rest ends up in landfills as litter.
Fantastic, it’s hearing this that motivates me to keep swimming. Alarming facts aren’t they, every bit we can do to cut back on single use plastic like bags is important! BEN
Hello Ben & Crew,
Congratiolations beeing Back in the ocean!
Go on bravely,Ben &Crew. The world needs you.
We all hope, that you will achieve the goal. I also hope, that a lot of folks will be inspired by your action to avoid plastic use- the aforementioned comment shows impressively.
Zero waste Life ist possible!!!! My waste Volume decreases and my responsibility rate increases with good vibes. Swimming in our fjord Open Water makes me thinking about your swim,Ben. And the purpose.
Thank you for re-starting.
Go on safely and bravehearted!
Blessed be your journey!
Greetings from Kiel
Brugitte
I wonder every day what time zone you are in? Are you in the Hawaii time zone? Cheers
This is good to hear! Hopefully end of August means end of the typhoon season in the Pacific!
It’s wonderful to know the swimming has resumed. I look forward to your posts about what you encounter each day. The water looks amazing! Keep swimming, Ben. Your message is so very important for our planet.
Congratulations!! Swim safely.