VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. — Lewis Pugh, a renowned endurance swimmer, is breaking his usual silence about sharks during his latest challenge — a swim around Martha’s Vineyard, where the film “Jaws” was shot 50 years ago.
Pugh, who is British-South African, is famous for being the first person to complete long-distance swims in every ocean. He has faced extreme conditions from Mount Everest to the Arctic.
“This swim is very different. We’re talking about sharks all the time,” Pugh said with a smile. As usual, he will swim without a wetsuit for the 62-mile (100-kilometer) journey, wearing only trunks, a cap, and goggles. The water temperature will be around 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius).
At 55 years old, Pugh aims to change how people view sharks. He said the movie “Jaws” unfairly painted them as villains and cold-blooded killers. His goal is to raise awareness and push for greater protection for these at-risk animals.
“We need to protect life in our oceans — all our futures depend on it,” Pugh said before starting his swim from a beach near the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse. He completed an initial 3.9 miles (6.2 kilometers) swim in nearly three hours on Thursday.
He plans to continue swimming daily for about 12 days or however long it takes to finish the full route. When not in the water, he will educate the public about sharks on the island.
After his swim on Thursday, Pugh climbed out of the water, where seals were nearby, to warm up and refuel on a boat.
His swim began shortly after the New England Aquarium confirmed the season’s first white shark sighting off Nantucket.
Pugh said the swim will test him both physically and mentally. “Every day, I’ll be talking about sharks, then I have to get in the water and swim. You can imagine what I’ll be thinking about,” he said as he checked wind conditions near the starting point earlier this week.
