For the past five days, we have been in sailing mode to get to a lower latitude as soon as possible because strong low pressure systems kept on coming. On our way to Hawaii, we are still collecting our samples and data (plastic, micro plastic, fibers…). Nikolai, the expert who maps the plastic accumulation zones (great garbage patch…) provided us the location of one of the major trails of micro that leads to the garbage patch gateway. We have been sailing in the trail but we still don’t know if we would be able to make it to the gateway, which is a little more north and would bring us in the storm path.
We have to wait until we get closer and hope to get a weather window to sail to it.
We caught our biggest mahi-mahi, it weighed 3.5 kg and was 80 centimeters long, not counting the tail.
Now, instead of spending 8 hours swimming, I spend my full day at the helm. I am still close to the ocean but instead of being in it a part of it I am just an observer of its surface, this is where the ocean meets our world.
Tomorrow we will reach a milestone, we are going to pass the dateline.
3 thoughts on “[DAY 164 -168] Sailing mode”-
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Godspeed to all. Can’t wait to greet you with warm aloha on Oahu!
Please keep on sending out the message about Ocean plastic pollution, Ben & Team.
The world is facing tipping points and all of us have to wake up and take action, but importantly governments and big industry have to drive the change, too.
COP24 Climate conference has just started in Poland, and we are hearing that the next 12 years are going to be critical, for the world to reduce CO2 emissions to try to keep global warming to at least a 1.5degrees C increase, which in itself is still going to have very negative effects on all life on this planet…
The magic date seems to be 2050, if by 2050 we can make zero CO2 emissions this could start counteracting all the damage already caused by our actions.
And 2050 also comes up as a cited date when, if we don’t stop our rampant use of plastics, there will be more plastic by weight than fish left in the oceans…
Often, all of this information is completely overwhelming to absorb for the average person, but if there are no people who take a stand and highlight the damage and what we need to do collectively to get back to a more sustainable way of life, then it will be truly a lost cause for all of us! So thank you again for all your efforts, The Longest Swim!
Hate to break it to you boss but, you crossed the International Date Line along time back. Think you meant to say you’ll be crossing the Tropic of Cancer sometime tomorrow. As in 23.5 degrees North latitude. ;p