Stephanie Montero (MSF bio here) founded Nado por las Ballenas (Swim for the Whales, @nadoporlasballenas) that is dedicated to the conservation of humpback whales and marine ecosystems in 2023. Her mission is to raise awareness, build partnerships, and fund impactful projects through sport, particularly open water swimming and art.
Montero explains, “What began as a dream to swim across Banderas Bay in Nayarit and Jalisco, Mexico to protect our whales has grown into a movement. On November 18th 2023, I completed El Cruce de Bahía de Banderas, a 37.5 km swim certified by the Marathon Swimmers Federation. That year alone, we raised over US$25,000, primarily to support ECOBAC’s whale rescue efforts (see ecobac.org). These funds helped save 10 entangled whales along the Mexican Pacific Coast during the 2023–2024 season.”
This year, Montero completed a 120 km 6 stage swim along the perimeter of Bahía de Banderas from May 20th to 26th 2024 while raising over US$65,000 to support the following six critical conservation initiatives:
- Whale rescue and collision prevention with ECOBAC
- Ghost net removal with WWF Mexico
- Monitoring whale-watching tourism with CONANP (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas)
- Coral reef monitoring and restoration in Islas Marietas with the University of Guadalajara
- Environmental education for children with My Bay and I program (Biólogos Marinos)
- Single-use plastic reduction with Zero Bay campaign (Limpia tu Mar)
Montero continues, “One of our most successful fundraising strategies has been the International Swim for the Whales, a virtual event held annually around World Animal Day (October 4). Teams of up to 10 participants, from any country and of any age, collectively complete a distance using any activity — swimming, running, cycling, kayaking, and more. In 2023, 108 teams from 11 countries took part. In 2024, it grew to 136 teams from 18 countries including participants from every continent. Each team pays a registration fee and joins a fundraising competition to support the cause.
Beyond fundraising, we raise awareness through social media, sporting events, community cleanups, public talks, creative performances (such as the 2023 play Canto de una Ballena), and press outreach. Over 120 organizations from diverse sectors have joined our efforts, showing the power of collective action for conservation.“
This year on May 2nd, Montero will attempt a 43 km night swim from Isla Isabel National Park to Playa El Sesteo in Nayarit, Mexico, through the influence zone of the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve. Her goal is to raise US$1.5 million throughout the year to ensure the long-term sustainability of the six projects Nado por las Ballenas currently support.
Learn more at nadoporlasballenas.org.
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