Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler is heading for Gisborne in his Swim4TheOcean campaign that started in North Cape and will end in Wellington. He left from Tokomaru Bay on Thursday morning. Photo / Joshua McCormack
Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler is heading for Gisborne in his Swim4TheOcean campaign that started in North Cape and will end in Wellington. He left from Tokomaru Bay on Thursday morning. Photo / Joshua McCormack
Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler resumed a 1400km mission from Tokomaru Bay this morning, bound for Gisborne.
The 36-year-old Aucklander was around 800km into his Swim4TheOcean campaign - a swim down the east coast of the North Island that started at Waiuku Beach, North Cape, on January 5 and is expectedto finish in Wellington early April.
Swim4TheOcean is a public awareness campaign calling for an end to the industrial fishing method of bottom trawling, along with promoting healthy oceans.
The swim is also an attempt at the world record for the longest unassisted staged swim.
Weather disrupted Ridler’s progress this week as he swam down the East Coast and is set to do so again in coming days.
Tuesday morning off the East Coast was extraordinary for Jono Ridler because of the bioluminescence in the water. "Every time I was taking a stroke, I could see it sparking up my arm." Photo / Joshua McCormack
Ridler and his support team went ashore at Tokomaru Bay on Tuesday night, stayed at Te Ariuru Marae and remained there through Wednesday.
“We got a really cool welcome when we arrived,” he told the Gisborne Herald.
“We spent the day there because of the southerly change that came through,” he said. “It was decided not to even get on the water.”
As of Thursday morning, he and his team were 80km from Gisborne.
Sharks have been sighted at times during Jono Ridler's marathon swim down the east coast of the North Island, but his support team take good care of him, using a shark shield device to deter anything sinister. Photo / Joshua McCormack
“At this stage, depending on the weather, we’re aiming to be in Gizzy early next week,” he said.
Over the 800km completed, he has encountered all sorts of marine life – jellyfish, turtles, whales, penguins, schools of fish, dolphins and some sharks.
“There’s been quite a few sharks sighted coming round East Cape,” he said. “There was hammerhead the other day, and another hammerhead and a bronze whaler off Lottin Point.
“They haven’t come close [enough] to be of concern. They were just cruising around. I normally hear about them from the support crew after I get out of the water each day.
“Sharks are on my mind, though, particularly when the water is murky, and when it’s dark and I cannot see much, like the other morning.”
The Swim4TheOcean on-water team deploy a shark shield as a deterrent.
“We have that dangling in the water and it sends out a small electrical pulse,” water safety lead Ben Goffin said.
“It’s uncomfortable enough to deter anything that wants to get too close to Jono.”
On arriving in Gisborne, Jono Ridler will have around 600km to go to Wellington. Photo / Joshua McCormack
Ridler said his body was holding up pretty well, “although I have one or two muscular aches and pains that I’m watching at the moment”.
His eyes were fine, but he had to treat his mouth for “salt tongue” due to constant exposure to salt water.
“Swirling mouthwash and coconut oil helps.”
On reaching Gisborne, he will have 600km remaining.
“I’m aiming for arrival in the capital sometime in early April.”
Will he make it?
“Heck yeah. I’m still confident we’ll get there by then.”
Ridler is swimming in minimal clothing - no wetsuit, just swim togs, a swim cap and goggles.
As of Thursday afternoon, over 20,500 people had added their names to the Swim4TheOcean call for action. People can track Swim4TheOcean live and add their name to the call to end bottom trawling at swim4theocean.org
