Lewis Pugh swims through ice fjord in Greenland

There are many ways to draw attention to climate change and its effects on the polar regions. Be it with scientific expeditions like MOSAiC, appeals on social media channels or extreme acts. With the latter, British extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh has been drawing attention to the threats for years. He sets world records in long distance swimming and is not afraid of the icy waters of Antarctica and the Arctic. Now he has set a new record: He became the first person to swim across the ice fjord in Ilulissat, West Greenland, in a multi-day swim.

Since 26 August, the 52-year-old Briton has spent almost every day in the icy waters of the ice fjord off Ilulissat. In a total of 12 days, he covered a distance of 7.8 kilometres between icebergs and drift ice. In the run-up to the swim, the extreme athlete had prepared himself very carefully for this task, but was literally caught ice-cold by the colder temperatures. The water temperature in the fjord was around 0°C, less than expected. “We were hoping for 3°C water temperature today but only had 0°C,” writes Lewis Pugh in his blog on launch day. “Just a few degrees colder, but the difference between life and death.”

Between icebergs and drift ice Lewis Pugh has fought his way through the ice fjord of Ilulissat over the past 12 days. A team of support staff followed the record attempt and also checked on Pugh’s condition, as a multi-day swim in 0°C had never been done before. Video: Michael Booth SP Films (via Facebookpage of Lewis Pugh)

Pugh was also hampered by strong currents and dangerous drift ice, which on some days almost completely filled the fjord. On the first day Pugh therefore “only” covered a total of 1,029 metres in twice 10 minutes swims. On other days, however, things went better for the Briton and he achieved greater distances. But all in all, the extreme athlete, who was actually excellently prepared, often reached his limits. “This was an extremely challenging swim. Not only because of the cold, and not just because I had to swim in freezing water day after day, without a chance to let my body recover. But because the conditions were also very treacherous.”

Lewis Pugh’s record is the first time a human has swum in polar waters for several days. Since no real data existed for the medical profession on this, Lewis Pugh was strictly checked. “Before the swim, my body temperature was over 38° because of the anxiety. It also stayed high during the swim,” he explains in a blog video. “But as soon as I came out of the water, cold blood flowed to my center and the temperature dropped to just above 35°C. It took 2 hours and 36 minutes to get me back to a normal core temperature.” This constant strain is enormously exhausting for both body and mind.

In addition to the physiological difficulties, Pugh and his team also had to deal with the pitfalls of nature. Icebergs that had blocked the ice flow of the Jakobshavn Glacier like a plug broke apart and so much ice flowed out in one fell swoop that it was no longer considered safe to swim. “Everything got harder. The water was colder, the air temperatures dropped, and I had to deal with the sharp edges of the brash ice,” Pugh explains. This led to a days-long wait for conditions to improve. “The environment teaches you patience,” he wrote in a blog entry.

“I’m swimming among icebergs and freezing because the world is warming up.”

Lewis Pugh

With his record, however, Lewis Pugh doesn’t just want to test his own limits. His mission is to once again draw the public’s attention to the rapid pace of climate change and its effects. And the fjord of Ilulissat is the perfect place for that. For one thing, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is fed with ice by one of the fastest flowing glaciers in the world, the Jakobshavn Glacier, plays an important role for the region’s inhabitants thanks to its abundance of fish and, like many parts of Greenland, is being severely affected by climate change. “The reason why I did this swim is clear: we rely on ice for our survival. Ice keeps our planet cool enough for us to live. But we are losing it fast. No ice, no life.” But “swimming in icy waters to prove global warming?” read a question from a follower. “Yeah, that’s irony,” he replies to that. “Sixty kilometres from the entrance to Ilulissat Fjord, the Greenland ice sheet is crumbling and delivering all these icebergs here. I’m swimming between icebergs and freezing because the world is warming up.”

Lewis Pugh (52) is a British extreme swimmer and environmental activist. Since 2003, he has drawn attention to climate change and pollution with numerous swims in all oceans, especially in the polar regions. In the process, he set some spectacular records. For example, he was the first person to swim down the entire length of the Thames, swam one kilometer each near the North Pole and on the Antarctic continent. He also speaks on the issues and brings them to the attention of heads of state and government. With his foundation “Lewis Pugh Foundation”, the former lawyer for international maritime law is committed to the protection of the oceans.

Read more on the website of Lewis Pugh and his foundation

Dr Michael Wenger, PolarJournal