Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen: Pacific Ocean

Another hard day of rowing and swimming has resulted in the team travelling 1,456km over the gruelling waves of the Pacific Ocean. This is the most relentless part of the journey, with a vast space of Ocean, but the team are working hard to get through it. Our very own Darren Fox came to the fore, having been in the top 3 almost every day he took the mantle today, covering over 150km.

We’re making great progress with well over 60% of the journey and still ahead of schedule. Despite being in the middle of the ocean and as far from civilians as possible, unfortunately the effect of mankind are still, sadly visible with the pollution from human rubbish.

Sustainable Oceans

The oceans are a beautiful and key part of the balance of the climate. More than half the people on earth live within 193km (120 miles) of the ocean and the saltwater oceans cover nearly 3 quarters of the planet. The oceans help regulate weather and produce life’s essentials including water, food and oxygen. So, why do we continue to treat them so flippantly and disregard their importance? Scientists constantly warn us that the oceans are rapidly changing and the uses of its bounty must be used far more sustainably. Here are some startling facts about the pollution and sustainability of the oceans.

  • We dump 8 million metric tonnes of plastic into the ocean each year, that’s nearly 57,000 blues whales every year. By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
  • The Great Pacific Garbage patch, an area of trash floating in the Pacific ocean, covers an area twice the size of Texas. There are also 4 more smaller patches.
  • China and Indonesia account for nearly a third of all the plastic pollution in the oceans.
  • Most of the trash from the oceans sits at the bottom, nearly 70% meaning it will most likely never been cleaned.
  • With every load of washing, nearly 700,000 synthetic microfibers are washed into the waters. Unlike cotton or wool, they do not break down.
  • Microplastics are tiny particles of plastics, officially less than 5 millimetres in diameter. Despite the small size, microplastics produce a huge problem as they still take thousands of years to disintegrate. Microplastics have been found in a range of marine life, ranging from plankton to whales.

Just like we need to take care of your body and health, we all need to take responsibility to look after the Oceans and the Earth, Here are some things that you can do right now to help reduce your impact on the ocean and the environment.

Key statistics

Distance Travelled: 26,216km

Journey Finished:  63.82%

Money Raised: £6,035

Countries Visited: 18 Countries

Day 15 Leader Board

  1. Darren Fox – 152.51km
  2. Steve Smith – 141.18km
  3. Kimberley Langley– 113.34km

Find out more

Do you think we can do it? Please support us and donate to the Just Giving page here.

Keep updated along the way with Instagram here and track our daily progress on our map below too.

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