Together in a tandem swim with Sayani Das (26, India, MSF bio here), Ryan Utsumi (46, USA, MSF bio here) completed a crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar in 3 hours 51 minutes on April 18th.

With this 14.4 km crossing from Spain to Morocco, Das swam to within one channel of completing the Oceans Seven while Utsumi achieved the Oceans Seven, a journey he started in 2016. Utsumi took a total of 3,126 day of dreaming, training, organizing, and financing seven channels around the world to become the 35th person in history to achieve the Oceans Seven.

Ryan Utsumi’s Oceans Seven Journey – Completed

• English Channel, September 2016: completed a 33.5 km crossing from England to France in 11 hours 0 minutes
• Catalina Channel, September 2017: completed a 32.3 km swim from Catalina Island to Southern California in 11 hours 6 minutes
• Tsugaru Channel, June 2018: completed a 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan in 8 hours 46 minutes
• North Channel, September 2018: completed a 35 km crossing from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 10 hours 34 minutes
• Cook Strait, March 2024: completed a 23 km swim from South Island to North Island in New Zealand in 7 hours 22 minutes
• Molokai Channel, August 2024: completed a 45 km crossing from Molokai Island to Oahu in Hawaii in 16 hours 58 minutes
• Strait of Gibraltar, April 2025: completed a 14.4 km crossing from Spain to Morocco in 3 hours 51 minutes

Sayani Das’ Oceans Seven Journey – Six Down, One To Go

• English Channel, July 2017: completed a 33.5 km crossing from England to France in 14 hours 8 minutes
• Catalina Channel, une 2019: completed a 32.3 km swim from the Catalina Island to Southern California in 12 hours 46 minutes
• Molokai Channel, April 2022: completed a 45 km crossing from Molokai Island to Oahu in 18 hours 50 minutes
• Cook Strait, April 2024: completed a 23 km crossing from North Island to South Island in New Zealand in 11 hours 47 minutes
• North Channel, August 2024: completed a 35 km crossing from North Ireland to Scotland in 13 hours 22 minutes
• Strait of Gibraltar, April 2025: completed a 14.4 km crossing from Spain to Morocco in 3 hours 51 minutes
• Tsugaru Channel, planned for July 2026 or 2027

On their boat were Das’ father Radhashyam Das and her coach, Dr. Tapan Kumar Panigrahi. She said, “It was an incredible experience and a significant milestone on this Oceans Seven journey.”

Oceans Seven Swimmers

1. Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
2. Anna Carin Nordin (Sweden)
3. Michelle Macy (USA)
4. Darren Miller (USA)
5. Adam Walker (UK)
6. Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand)
7. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
8. Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia and Ireland)
9. Rohan Dattatrey More (India)
10. Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic)
11. Cameron Bellamy (South Africa)
12. Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
13. Thomas Pembroke (Australia)
14. Nora Toledano Cadena (Mexico)
15. Mariel Hawley Dávila (Mexico)
16. André Wiersig (Germany)
17. Elizabeth Fry (USA)
18. Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
19. Jonathan Ratcliffe (UK)
20. Jorge Crivilles Villanueva (Spain)
21. Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey)
22. Prabhat Koli (India at 23 years 7 months 5 days, shown below on right)
23. Dina Levačić (Croatia)
24. Herman van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
25. Andy Donaldson (Scotland in 354 days)
26. Stephen Junk (Australia)
27. Kieron Palframan (South Africa)
28. Bárbara Hernández Huerta (Chile)
29. Mark Sowerby (Australia)
30. Paul Georgescu (Romania)
31. Zach Margolis (USA
32. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria in 173 days)
33. Nathalie Pohl (Germany)
34. Caitlin O’Reilly (New Zealand at the age of 20 years 7 months 15 days)
35. Ryan Utsumi (USA)

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