Long-distance swimmer Ben Lecomte is on an unconventional mission to learn more about the extent of plastic pollution in our oceans. He’s successfully reached 200 nautical miles since he started his triumphant human-powered voyage on June 17. After 40 days of swimming up to eight hours a day and pushing his physical limits to the extreme, Lecomte has encountered the effects of plastic waste in one of the most distant locations on the planet.
Lecomte is on a quest to study the ocean's most polluted region and promote awareness regarding ocean plastic pollution and the effect of synthetic fibers on the environment.
RELATED: Bali is Banning Single-Use Plastics in June
After starting from Hawaii, in partnership with New Zealand clothing brand Icebreaker, Lecomte and his crew are now at the core of the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Here, the team discovered a nearly 1000 percent increase in Microplastic pollution smog, relative to prior samples. To help educate and inform future studies, this information will be shared with researchers around the globe.
Lecomte and his crew are planning to finish in San Francisco on August 31, completing the 300-nautical-mile swim and the first unified Transpacific study on plastic pollution. The crew believes that change is possible, and with more data and research, we’ll have the opportunity to decrease the rate of plastic pollution.
Keep charging Ben! We’re rooting for you.
