Live Ocean: At the halfway point - Jono Ridler's Swim4TheOcean
by Jodie Bakewell-White - Live Ocean Racing 20 Feb 15:55 NZDT
Jono Ridler - Mid Point reached - Swim4TheOcean - February 17, 2026 © Joshua McCormack
Open water marathon swimmer Jono Ridler has hit the halfway mark of Swim4TheOcean - his world-record swim attempt from North Cape to Wellington with a call to end bottom trawling.
From here south, the Swim4TheOcean mission is leaving behind a coastline with safe harbours and boat ramps - heading into new territory where few safe harbours exist and beaches and bays are often exposed and only viable access points in certain conditions. East Cape itself will require a strategic approach with tidal flow and currents expected to compress around the eastern tip of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Reaching 694km off Waihau Bay, just before Cape Runaway and East Cape marks an extraordinary endurance milestone in one of the longest staged ocean swims ever attempted.
Ridler is reminding people why he's doing it and how they can show support. "This swim has never been done, and it's already pushing me mentally and physically like I've never experienced before... but that's the point. I'm swimming to shine a light on ocean health and I'm asking people to get behind Swim4TheOcean by signing our call to end bottom trawling at www.swim4theocean.org.
"One of the most urgent things we can do is to transition away from destructive bottom trawling. I've met people on beaches all the way from Waikuku in the far north to here at Waihau that agree, and support what we're calling for.
"It's what keeps me going day after day and I'm determined to take that message and at least 50 thousand signatures with me as I get to Wellington about six weeks from now."
Already 13,712 have signed the call which asks the New Zealand Government to end bottom trawling on all seamounts - at home and in the high seas by the end of 2027 - and to activate a quick transition away from bottom trawling entirely.
In six weeks Ridler has free-styled 694km of exposed coastline, spending more than 235 hours in the water. 61 swim legs in total - battling currents, changing sea states and the physical toll of back-to-back shifts up to six hours long, he has already covered a distance few swimmers in the world have ever achieved in a single campaign.
But Swim4TheOcean is about more than distance. It's a mission to ignite New Zealanders around the importance of ocean health and recent independent research shows strong public backing for change. 78% of New Zealand adults (3,019,000 people) support a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas. And 73% (around 2,825,000 adults) believe commercial fishing practices need to change.*
Since leaving Waikuku Beach at North Cape on 5 January, Swim4TheOcean has traced a path down the east coast of the North Island - past remote headlands, marine reserves and busy coastal communities. Ridler has encountered orcas, seabirds, sharks, dolphins and schooling fish, and been welcomed ashore by locals gathering on beaches, paddling out in kayaks, coming out in boats and turning out at community stopovers.
The scale of his effort is matched by the logistical challenge and the old adage 'everything is harder on water' rings true for the Swim4TheOcean crew. A seven-strong team are supporting Ridler's swim attempt across boats and land - the on-water team watching his every stroke, monitoring conditions and keeping him fuelled.
For now, Ridler is focussed on celebrating the halfway milestone.
He's projected to arrive in Wellington in late March or early April. When he does Swim4TheOcean will carry a clear message to decision makers: commit to ending bottom trawling.
Key facts - Swim4TheOcean (at halfway):
Total distance swum: 394km and swimming now
Distance remaining: 393km
Total hours swum: More than 235 hours
Start: Waikuku Beach, North Cape, January 2026
Finish target: Wellington, late March/early April 2026
New Zealanders can track Swim4TheOcean live and add their name to the call to end bottom trawling at www.swim4theocean.org
People can follow the swim via live tracker and sign the call for an end to bottom trawling at swim4theocean.org
*Independent research done by Horizon Research in November 2025. Fisheries survey prepared for Greenpeace Aotearoa
About Swim4TheOcean
Jono Ridler, a 36-year-old from Auckland, is attempting to go further than anyone has before in an unassisted staged swim, using his epic effort to shine a light on ocean health.
Ridler is partnering with Live Ocean, the marine conservation charity founded by champion sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. As Ridler pushes south, he carries a clear message to decision makers: it's time for New Zealand to make a quick transition away from bottom trawling, with the first priority being an end to bottom trawling on seamounts and other vital marine ecosystems.
More than 120 rest stops (between swim shifts), and community stopovers are planned along the route, giving coastal towns the chance to welcome Ridler ashore and show their support for a healthy ocean.
The term 'unassisted' is significant in Ridler's world-record attempt. Defined by the Marathon Swimmers Federation, it means he'll swim without a wetsuit - wearing only togs, goggles and a swim cap.
Key swim facts:
- Distance swum: 493km (The equivalent of nearly 19 Cook Strait crossings)
- Number of swim legs: 43
- Time in the water: 166 hours 37 minutes
You can follow the swim via live tracker and sign the call for an end to bottom trawling at swim4theocean.org
Swim4TheOcean is backed by Platinum sponsor TMNZ alongside supporting swim sponsors including APL, Forsyth Barr, Generate KiwiSaver, and StabiX.
Follow the mission at www.Swim4TheOcean.org and on Live Ocean's channels @itsliveocean.
View at www.Swim4TheOcean.org
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Website: liveocean.org/swim4theocean Follow Jono's progress on the live tracker.
The Swim4TheOcean project is heavily reliant on PredictWind for forecasting of both weather and currents as well as data transmission on progress using a PredictWind Datahub.
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