Open water swimmer Lewis Pugh completed a brutal cold-water swim on a supra-glacial lake in Antarctica to bring attention to global climate change.
The 50-year-old Pugh regularly uses his open water swimming prowess as a means of environmental advocacy. By 2006, he became the first person ever to complete a long-distance swim in all five of the earth’s oceans. In 2007, he undertook the first long-distance swim across the North Pole to bring attention to the melting of Arctic sea ice. A few years later, Pugh swam a glacial lake on Mount Everest to highlight the melting glaciers in the Himalayas.
His latest swim targeted Antartica, at the earth’s southern pole. Pugh’s website calls Antarctica “critical to the health of our planet.” Pugh swam one kilometer this week in a supra-glacial lake, which forms when meltwater collects on the surface of an ice sheet. For Pugh, that meant swimming in a river that wound through an ice sheet. The main danger, according to Pugh’s site, is the lake suddenly draining away due to a crack in the ice sheet.
First sight of the glacial river that I’ll be swimming. It may seem shocking that someone would be able to swim in a river that runs under the ice sheet, but that’s the point. Antarctica is melting. Scientists have discovered over 65,000 supra-glacial lakes in this region alone. pic.twitter.com/GXvcBZzePX
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) January 24, 2020
Pugh tweeted a number of stunning images from the swim, embedded below. He finished the 1K swim on Thursday, January 23 after about a week of training in Antarctica. He was joined on his voyage by former hockey player Slava Fetisov, who is now the UN Patron of the Polar Regions.
A view of my final training swim before I attempt the main swim. This spectacular beauty defies a darker reality – this river is the result of the melting ice-sheet in East Antarctica. It’s time for urgent action on the climate crisis. #Antarctica2020 pic.twitter.com/2vO9voKpvd
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) January 24, 2020
Swimming under the Antarctic ice sheet is the most beautiful and terrifying swim I’ve ever done. Every shade of blue, and then nearly complete darkness. Mid-way I heard an almighty boom above me, and thought my time had come. Luckily, it was just the ice shifting. #Antarctica2020 pic.twitter.com/2mZQpeUECd
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) January 24, 2020
This is the superb team that made it happen here in East Antarctica. We come from the UK, France, Russia, Argentina, South Africa and Costa Rica. Each with a highly specialised role. I am so grateful to every one of them!
🙏 🐧 🐳 #Antarctica2020 pic.twitter.com/WtyEZiao1M— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) January 24, 2020
At the end to help me to safety is Senator Slava Fetisov from Russia. Slava was the the greatest ice hockey defenceman in history. He always tells me “our world now needs more defenders and protectors.” #Antarctica2020 pic.twitter.com/y5PwtqQNLp
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) January 24, 2020
I swam here in East Antarctica to bring you this message:
Having witnessed the rapid melting in this region, I have no doubt that we are now facing a climate emergency.
At #COP26, world leaders need to step up or step aside. Time is running out.
Please share.#Antarctica2020 pic.twitter.com/YJZJeKNPlf
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) January 24, 2020
Terrific swim for a great cause!!! For things to significantly change, China & India have to “get on board”(not that we in USA shouldn’t do our part) ; otherwise, things will continue to only get worse. Who is willing to confront these “gargantuan” polluters & convince them to change their ways?
What an achievement. We have no excuse for what we’re doing to Earth – We know what we need to change, and we know how to change it, so why aren’t we? Humans are a walking example of the most intelligent (species) not always being the most wise.
This is incredible.
Reminds me of the amazing swims by Lynn Cox. I hope it helps raise awareness.
Aware you or not you cannot change the orbit of the Earth and cycles it goes through. When standing in the middle of Times Square can imagine above your head the the ice shield thicker than hundred of Empire State buildings put one above another. Hundred! And if you think it was long time ago then you are mistaken. Not far away from the time of Egyptian pyramids. There is some nice theory that biblical flooding was caused by sudden discharge of huge glacier lake into ocean.
When was the Empire State building moved to Times Square?
Katinka what?
The scriptures that I read & believe indicate that the “Great Flood” occurred due to rain (40 days & 40 nights of it if I’m remembering correctly). Don’t remember anything being written about a sudden discharge of a glacier lake into the ocean causing it. My scriptures also state that the waters prevailed upon the earth for a hundred and fifty days. They do say that the fountains of the great deep were broken up but I don’t interpret that to mean a sudden discharge of a glacier lake into the ocean. Just my take on it!!!