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Live Ocean: Jono Ridler nears 1,000km mark - Swim4TheOcean

by Jodie Bakewell-White - Live Ocean Racing 7 Mar 13:47 NZDT
Jono Ridler - 925km mark passed - Swim4TheOcean - March 6, 2026 © Joshua McCormack

Jono Ridler entered the water at North Cape on 5 January and is attempting to swim the length of the east coast of NZ's North Island to Wellington - wearing only togs, a swim cap and goggles

  • Distance: Jono Ridler is closing in on the 1,000km mark in his unassisted staged swim world-record attempt. The major milestone is expected to fall in the coming days. Ridler has now swum more than 925km and is covering upwards of 25km a day when conditions allow. The total projected distance for the North Cape to Wellington swim is approximately 1,400km.

  • Location: Today Ridler crossed the 39° south latitude line and is today swimming offshore from the Mahia Peninsula, south of Turanganui-a-Kiwa Gisborne. From here the route cuts a straight line across Hawke Bay towards Te Kauwae-a-Maui, Cape Kidnappers.

  • Latest video: The latest Swim4TheOcean weekly update video is live today, showcasing Ridler's effort, the support team around him, and the communities welcoming the crew along the coast.

  • Signatures: More than 24,000 people have signed the Swim4TheOcean call for the New Zealand Government to end bottom trawling on all seamounts - both in New Zealand waters and on the high seas - by the end of 2027, and to activate a transition away from bottom trawling entirely.

  • Next Stopover: A community stopover event is being planned - tentatively Tuesday 10 March at Perfume Point, Te Karaka Reserve, Napier, with a warm welcome expected. Follow @itsliveocean on social media for confirmed timing and updates.

  • International recognition: Swim4TheOcean has been officially endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as an Ocean Decade Activity - recognising the mission's contribution to global ocean awareness and action.

    New Zealanders can track Swim4TheOcean live and add their name to the call to end bottom trawling at www.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

    Embed code www.predictwind.com/live-ocean/media

    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.

    Win a PredictWind DataHub and 12 month Professional subscription - photo © PredictWind
    Win a PredictWind DataHub and 12 month Professional subscription - photo © PredictWind

    Win a PredictWind DataHub

    Don't forget to make your entry in the PredictWind competition to win a PredictWind DataHub and a 12 month Professional subscription, with three other prizes of 12 month professional subscriptions. Enter by clicking this link www.sail-world.com/NZ/competition/30

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