Lewis Pugh’s feat: the eco-activist swam in Antarctic waters to save the planet

Lewis Pugh’s feat: the eco-activist swam in Antarctic waters to save the planet

Each of his swims is a call to protect the environment. How does this help the ecology?

Lewis Pugh is a British swimmer, eco-activist and goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program who is famous for swimming in extreme conditions. He became the first person to swim long distances in each of the world’s five oceans. Through his actions, he tries to sensitize the public and politicians about marine resources and climate issues. In 2014, as part of the Seven Seas Project, he completed marathon swims in the Aegean, Red, Black, Mediterranean, Arabian, Adriatic and North Seas. And on January 24, 2020, Lewis swam in East Antarctica on a river that was formed by melting glaciers.

Ten minutes in the ice: how did Lewis Pugh swim in Antarctica’s waters?

The athlete deliberately refused any means of protection. He wore only swim trunks, goggles and a cap and swam unaccompanied, completely alone in the Antarctic ice. In addition, he had no way to get back if something happened. Pugh noted that the water temperature was only 0 degrees Celsius due to global warming, and he observed meltwater everywhere during the swim.

Pure water with no impurities or inhomogeneities can stay above freezing as low as -48 degrees Celsius. Interestingly, when it reaches a critically low temperature, it will turn into ice almost instantly.

In East Antarctica, the record low temperature on Earth was set and the eco-activist said that this swim was the scariest swim of his life, but at the same time the most beautiful.

This swim is an experience of 33 years of training, all for the sake of 10 minutes and 17 seconds down that river.

The Briton also noted that to swim in such extreme conditions, you have to be as similar as possible to the animals that live in the area. For example, the seals that inhabit Antarctica have a protective layer of fat. That’s why Pugh had to eat everything possible “as often as he could.”

How will swimming in Antarctica help the environment?

Lewis Pugh called for a network of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean around the continent and for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to take urgent action to combat global warming. The athlete has clearly brought a significant issue to the public’s attention.

The British eco-activist’s swims have already helped preserve 2.2 square kilometers of ocean, including the Ross Sea.