One man for 300 miles of swimming but for ONE reason, pollution...

THE VORTEX SWIM EN ROUTE

Ben Lecomte and his team decide to swim 300 miles in the part of the ocean with the most plastic... "I'm not an Olympic swimmer, but an adventurer who loves swimming". After swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in 1998, the Pacific Ocean in 2018, the heroine wants to achieve the Vortex in 2019.

During his last ocean crossing, completed last December, he claims to have experienced a nightmare in terms of plastic pollution. So it was on June 14th that the VORTEX SWIM adventure began for Ben and he decided to raise awareness and inspire change in our relationship with plastic, through his 100 days at sea.

From Queen's beach in Hawaii to California, he will attempt to swim across the most polluted area of the oceans. The sequence of the days is simple: while Ben swims in the ocean, his team collects data on floating debris, microplastics and microfibers.

One fine morning, on the 9th of July, he starts his day by collecting the microplastics, using a net, and only after the towing, does he start his swimming miles. But on this day, a new record is noted! More than 500 pieces of microplastic were counted ...

Finally arriving at the heart of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Ben and his team were able to see a large amount of plastic waste floating on the surface. But this is not completely representative of the problem since it is the quantity of microfibers and microplastics that gives a better idea of the state of our oceans. It turns out that the result is breathtaking ... 3,000 pieces of microplastics collected in one day!

After a long and hard day, it's on July 17th that Ben reaches the halfway point of his journey. On this day, while he was swimming without respite, the 150 mile mark was exceeded. A reason to take some souvenir photos.

Since then, Ben and his team are still on their way and intend to finish this adventure with at least, 300 miles of swimming on the clock...

TO KNOW

• The Pacific Ocean covers nearly 30% of our planet, so anything that threatens its future can jeopardize ours.
• Plastic is not biodegradable but breaks down into small particles, a key point on global warming.

Do like them, become aware of our behaviour and the degradation of our environment ... Start by changing your consumption habits by promoting eco-responsible products, which Alpinstore offers you:

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