In the July 28th 1938 edition of the Journal in Reno Nevada on the first reported attempt to swim in the Santa Barbara Channel, it was reported that “Paul Chotteau, long distance marathon swimmer, who recently collapsed and had to be taken aboard a patrol boat after swimming nearly 50 miles in record-shattering time.

He was swimming from Santa Barbara Island to Venice, California, a distance of 56 miles. One of the sharks dove under him and left a scratch on Chotteau’s chest from its fin.”

It is our guess that Chotteau also probably chewed on jellyfish along the way.

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