Courtesy of the New York Times, Easter Island, Chile.

Cristian Vergara attempted a 38-mile (61 km) circumnavigation swim around Eastern Island in November 2016 that ended in 26 hours 52 minutes. The famed Chilean swimmer called his attempt Circunavegación de natación de Isla de Pascua – Easter Island, Kau Hakateka 2016 Rapa Nui.

Vergara pioneered the first circumnavigation attempt of the World Heritage Site that is located 3,512 km away from the Chilean coast.

New York Times published an article about the island titled Easter Island Is Eroding that describes how rising sea levels are rapidly eroding Easter Island’s coasts.

Who will be the next to attempt – and the first to complete – a circumnavigation swim around an island that will be significantly impacted by a potential rise of up to 2 meters by the year 2100?

What about elsewhere in low-lying islands around the world like the Marshall Islands? What about other potential SOS (Save Ourselves Swims) around the world?

Something to think about, interesting swims and social campaigns to plan for.

New York Times article was written by Nicholas Casey; designed and produced by Rebecca Lieberman, Meaghan Looram and Claire O’Neill with photographs and drone video by Josh Haner and maps by Derek Watkins.

The article about the Isla de Pascua is also available in Spanish.

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