Human polar bear, Lewis Pugh, takes to the waters again to draw the world’s attention to the Seven Seas.
“During my swim in the Red Sea, I swam through a Marine Protected Area (a National Park in the sea), and experienced the sea as it was meant to be: rich and colourful, teeming with abundant life. It was simply breathtaking,” describes maritime lawyer and endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh. “But then, just two kilometres on, outside of the protected area, it looked like an underwater desert: no coral and no fish. If I had needed more proof that Marine Protected Areas really work, that was it.”This stark contrast is the very reason Pugh pitted himself against the harshest of elements to become the first person to complete a long distance swim across each of the Seven Seas: the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean, Black, Red, Arabia
n and North Seas. These waters make up some of the most polluted and overfished in the world, and the human polar bear’s latest mission is to draw global attention to the plight of the world’s oceans.
Pugh earned the nickname “the human polar bear” when he took the icy plunge to swim in open water at the North Pole in 2007 to highlight the Arctic’s glacial melting. He has since become a leading figure in efforts to protect the world’s oceans. His 2010 swim across a glacial lake on Mount Everest also showcased the impact of climate change in the Himalayas.
In August this year, Pugh’s Seven Swims in Seven Seas for One Reason campaign called on governments to take action in line with the United Nations mandate to its members to set aside at least 10 % of the world’s oceans as effective and well-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2020.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, Achim Steiner, explains: “The establishment of Marine Protected Areas is a critical component of global efforts to reverse the degradation of our oceans.” He adds that land-based pollution, poorly managed coastal development, overfishing, and climate change are all major threats. “But these can be reduced if governments work together and set ambitious targets.” Such an undertaking is immense, and so it is no surprise then that this campaign was Pugh’s most ambitious and complex expedition one to date. With a support team of over 200 people, Pugh set off to complete a 10 km swim in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Monte Carlo, Monaco, where overfishing is a major threat. He was met by Prince Albert II as he finished, who took a particular interest in the campaign and asked Pugh to become an ambassador of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The foundation has donated millions to various environmental projects since its inception in 2006. “It’s clear how passionate he (Pugh) is about the ocean – he has done a great deal for the maritime environment,” Prince Albert said.
Just two days later Pugh arrived in Croatia to swim 15 km in the Adriatic Sea, followed by a 10 km stretch in the Aegean off Athens. The Aegean Sea is home to the monk seal, of which the numbers in Greece alone have plummeted to around 200 seals – around half of the remaining world’s population – due to hunting and entanglement in fishing nets. This makes it one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Pugh’s swim here was for an animal on the brink of extinction, and called for better co-operation and protection of the species.
His fourth swim took Pugh to the Black Sea, which is almost entirely enclosed by land and is being destroyed by heavy pollution. “It was like a washing machine with big waves and swell that made for tough swimming conditions,” he recalls. “I am grateful to five Turkish swimmers who took turns to pace me over the 10 km, and who share our vision for more Marine Protected Areas in this part of the world. Currently, only 2.4 % of Turkish waters are set aside as Marine Protected Areas. I urge all the countries around the Black Sea to protect it more. It’s such a beautiful part of the world and a crucial ecosystem.”
Having completed the Red and Arabian swims thereafter, Pugh and his team headed to the North Sea for the seventh swim, where he took to the water for a 60 km long endurance test which he described as exhausting. “Throughout each swim, I thought about the 200 people who helped us to put the campaign together, and no matter how tired I was, I simply could not let them down.”
His efforts out of the water were equally immense. Pugh met a number of key policy makers en route and will be having follow-up meetings with them in the months to come. The campaign’s message was also shared on social media by numerous environmental organisations, from the World Economic Forum to Greenpeace.
“We had fantastic support. Before we even started the expedition, Desmond Tutu came to my final training swim in Cape Town. King Abdullah of Jordan provided us with a boat and a naval escort on our swim in the Red Sea. We had little children coming down to swim with me in Croatia. I had Turks joining me for my swim in the Black Sea. The interest and enthusiasm of ordinary people was just wonderful,” he recalls.
Pugh already has his next feat in mind. “I am putting together an expedition to follow the humpback whale migration along the east coast of South Africa. They are under threat from oil and gas exploration.” Pugh and his team will tell their story in the hopes of persuading the South African Government to increase our Marine Protected Areas to protect this beautiful creature.
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