Following dangerous levels of E.coli discovered in waters along the Durban beachfront after the devastating floods recently, repairs have been completed and the team at Breathe Conservation have confirmed that 24 September will be the new date for the Consol Breathe World Ocean Day Swim.
According to organiser, Sarah Ferguson, the event had to be halted until the Durban beaches were safe for swimmers. Following a number of repairs done, the levels of E.coli in the water dropped to safe levels which mean that swimmers will be able to enjoy Durban’s spring conditions.
“We are very excited to be able to announce the return of our World Ocean Day Swim. It’s been an incredibly difficult time for the people of Durban and to see that things are slowly returning to normal is good. We hope that there is a greater emphasis on the conservation of our beaches and ocean. We need to continue to grow awareness for the plight of our oceans and this event gives us that opportunity so to be able to still go ahead with it despite the change in date is great for us,” said Ferguson.
Local swimmers will have the chance to enjoy an exciting race in the Durban bay as they contribute to a cause that is crucial to Ferguson and her organisation. The Durban North endurance swimmer added that the recent floods demonstrated the importance of awareness about single use plastics and the importance of avoiding them.
“There was so much plastic washed down our rivers into the ocean after the floods and we hope that through our event we might educate people about alternatives to plastic. Our sponsors Consol Glass align perfectly with what we are trying to push sustainability. They have been big supporters of the Breathe Conservation campaign and we are excited to have them on board,” said Ferguson.
Entries for the 2022 Consol Breathe World Ocean Day Swim can be found at roag.co.za. More information is available at www.breatheconservation.orgndur
