From space, Planet Earth looks very blue.

It is a beautiful blue.

But it appears that the blue is increasing turning green. A sickly green due to algal blooms.

Lake Erie, the 13th largest lake in the world, is now being hit by humungous blooms that cover 20% of the lake due to fertilizers that leach into the lake and multiply due to a combination of still waters and an increasing number of storms.

Lake Erie is turning green just as more swimmers are heading to its shores.

The following swimmers have completed marathon swims in Lake Erie:

1. Pat Budney swam 26 miles in 25 hours 52 minutes from Canada to USA (August 1975)
2/3. Bob North and Harvey Snell swam 24.3 miles from Canada to USA (August 1989)
4. Halli Reid swam 24.3 miles in 17 hours from Canada to USA (August 1993)
5. Greg Sarbak swam 24.3 miles in 13 hours from Canada to USA (August 1995)
6. Paula Jongerden swam 24.3 miles in 23 hours 36 minutes from USA to Canada (August 2002)
7. Sara McClure swam 24.3 miles from Canada to USA (August 2005)
8. Josh Heynes swam 24.3 miles in 11 hours 53 minutes from Canada to USA (August 2006)
9. Dan Nichols swam 26 miles in 20 hours 45 minutes from USA to Canada (August 2007)
10. Sonya Pyle swam 24.3 miles in 14 hours from Canada to USA (August 2007)
11. Randy McElwain swam 24.3 miles in 11 hours 23 minutes from Canada to USA (August 2009)
12. Mitch Ranzenberger swam 24.3 miles in 17 hours 47 minutes from Canada to USA(August 2010)
13. Josh Heynes swam 24.3 miles in 11 hours 16 minutes from Canada to USA (July 2011)
14. Melanie Reade swam 24.3 miles in 13 hours 35 minutes from Canada to USA (July 2011)
15. Randy McElwain swam 32 miles in 16 hours 26 minutes from Canada to USA (August 2011)

16. Eric Mizuba swam 24.3 miles in 14 hours 34 minutes from Canada to USA (July 2012)

Credit: MODIS/SSEC

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