Lynton Mortensen, Doing Ice Miles from Antarctica to Austria, from Morocco to Mount Fuji

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International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Lynton Mortenson (Australia, 60, MSF bio here, IISA bio here) retired from his legal career and went on a worldwide tour.

It was not your normal, traditional retirement vacation tour.

It was special. Grueling, challenging, adventurous.

The Australian force of nature, known as the Sea Bull, explains, “I am incredibly grateful to the amazing worldwide swimming community who supported me on my four Ice Miles in four continents between January 8th and February 18th with an Ice Triple Crown with an Ice Kilometer [at the IISA 6th World Championship] in Molveno, Italy. Swimming the Hinterlux Ice Cave [in Austria] at 3200-meter altitude in -0.5°C water was otherworldly and humbling. Josef Köberl kindly organized an Ice Mile for me at Lake Grundlsee and we swam Hinterlux the very next day…[that was] quite the adventure. Morocco was the toughest, as I was on an IV drip for a few days right up until the night before the Ice Mile swim at 2200 meters altitude. IV was my breakfast, lunch, and dinner I only ate for the first time in days the night before the swim with a salad & soup. Fortunately, I managed the swim and had very good recovery.

Mount Fuji was the last stop. I acted as the observer for a mate of mine who did a 500 meter and Ice Kilometer qualifier. I swam the Ice Mile – first time anyone has swum an Ice Mile in the Lake Kawaguchi at the bottom of Mount Fuji. It was quite a different experience to swimming the Tsugaru Strait, but it is still quite the adventure and expedition putting all the logistics together as the locals were very cautious and thought we were quite mad. The onsen was a great way to complete the recovery.“

Sea Bull’s Ice Miles & Ice Kilometers

On May 5th 2022 at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, he completed an Ice Mile in -0.77°C water and -15.90°C air in 33:56.
On August 10th 2024 at Lake Crackenback, New South Wales, Australia, he completed an Ice Mile in 4.77°C water and 4.20°C air in 39:36 at 1110m altitude.
On 15 November 2024 at Alminarte Brown Antarctic Base, Port Lockroy, Antarctica, he completed an Ice Mile in -1.00°C water and -2.70°C air in 31:41.
On 8 January 2025 at El Derado Beach, Lake Tahoe, California, USA, he completed an Ice Mile in 3.97°C water and -1.00°C air in 41:56 in a glacial lake at 1897m altitude.
On 1 February 2025 at Lake Grundlsee, Austria, he completed an Ice Mile in 4.03°C water and -2.40°C air in 35:29 in a glacial lake at 732m altitude.
On 10 February 2025 at v, he completed an Ice Mile in 4.73°C water and 0.20°C air in 39:13 at 2112m altitude.
On 18 February 2025 at Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, he completed an Ice Mile in 4.27°C water and -1.10°C air in 40:18 at 830m altitude.
On 24 February 2024 in Port Lockroy, Antarctica, he completed an Ice Kilometer in 17:22.00 in 1.00°C water and 2.60°C air.
On 12 November 2024 in Port Lockroy, Antarctica, he completed an Ice Kilometer in 25:53.10 in -1.40°C water and -5.60°C air.
On 18 January 2025 at the IISA 6th World Championship in Molveno, Italy, he completed an Ice Kilometer in 20:03.51 in 1.94°C water and 1.00°C air.