COP27: Swimmer attempts Red Sea crossing for climate change
Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh is attempting what is thought to be the world’s first swim across the Red Sea.
He wants to highlight the vulnerability of coral reefs and oceans ahead of a major climate meeting in Egypt in November.
He told BBC News he wanted world leaders to “put your heads in the water to see what we risk losing if we don’t take urgent action”.
He hopes to swim the 160km (100 miles) distance over two weeks.
Nations will be gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh for COP27 in November to discuss how the world is tackling rising temperatures.
Mr Pugh, a UN Patron of the Oceans, will face warm sea temperatures, very salty water, and long hours of exposure to the sun as he swims around 10km (6 miles) a day.
His journey started in Saudi Arabia, and will take him through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes leading to the Suez Canal. He will touch land again in Hurghada, Egypt.
He describes the precious coral reefs he is swimming over as “magnificent”.
“I’ve swum in coral reefs that are so incredibly beautiful and biodiverse. There’s fish of every single colour and description. But then I’ve come back a few years later and there’s very little left there,” he told BBC News.
Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to climate change. The UN warns that if global temperatures rise by 1.5C, 90% of reefs will disappear.
Mr Pugh is calling on governments to take action to significantly cut their greenhouse gas emissions and for 30% of the world’s oceans to be protected.
“The vast majority still have some way to go to understanding how quickly it’s happening and the huge impact this will have on everyone around the world,” Mr Pugh says.
He has been swimming for 35 years and is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean.
“This is a fight to get people to understand the huge impact [climate change] is having not just on current generations, but every single future generation on this planet,” he explains.
He was accompanied by Dr Mariam Saleh Bin Laden, a Saudi endurance swimmer, for 9km. She described the swim as “short and tough and adventurous”.
“I wanted the coral swim to include swimmers from around the region. I invited Mariam to join me on the first section because she is a passionate humanitarian and has pioneered endurance swimming in Saudi Arabia,” Mr Pugh said.
After finishing the swim, Mr Pugh will attend COP27.