SWIMMER RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT POLLUTION

IOL reports that extreme endurance swimmer, Justin ‘the water buffalo’ Coetzee swam with sharks earlier this week to raise awareness about pollution in our oceans.

Wearing only swimming trunks, he swam with three ragged-tooth sharks in the I&J Predator Exhibit tank at the Two Oceans Aquarium. Three divers accompanied him.

He braved the cold waters to raise awareness about the effect that plastic pollution has on sea life. Many creatures get tangled up in plastic debris or accidentally consume plastic and die as a result.

Because Coetzee spends so much time swimming, he considers ocean conservation a big part of his life. He recently joined the aquarium as an ambassador to help create awareness about plastic pollution and to inspire people to take action. The Two Oceans Aquarium houses hundreds of sea creatures and is an excellent place to learn about life in our oceans.

Seals play a significant role in the ecosystem but are frequently victims of pollution. Coetzee hopes to dedicate future swims to a broader marine plastic pollution awareness campaign.

To reduce plastic pollution in the oceans, the most important things that you can do is to reuse plastic and to take part in beach cleanups. This month, EWNa homeless man was spotted cleaning up the beaches in Bantry Bay and was subsequently offered a job for his endeavours. You can join Clean C on their monthly beach cleanups to get involved.

Coetzee has recently been chosen as a 2016 team member for the charity event, Swim for Hope, an 8 km group swim around the iconic Cape Point.

People such as Coetzee experience the reality of the state of our oceans daily and want to protect what they love. Clean and thriving oceans are a priority and you can be part of making it a reality.

Photography courtesy