Swimming at 3,811 meters in the 16°C Waters of Lake Titicaca

Spread the love

John Zemaitis and Joe Zemaitis led a group of swimmers to Lago Titicaca in Bolivia in mid-March.

Their goal? To complete a 15.2 km skin swim in 16°F (60-61°F) water at 3,811 meters (12,503 feet) between the shores of Copacabana to the foot of the ruins of the 15th century Temple of the Sun.

As expedition leaders, the Zemaitis Brothers organized swimmers to also serve as observers and support crew over a three-day period in March.

On March 16th, the first group of swimmers completed a 15.2 km point-to-point swim in 16°F water at 3,811 meters between the shores of Copacabana to the foot of the ruins of the 15th century Temple of the Sun:

Dina Levačić (29, Croatia, MSF bio here, @dinalevacic_swim) 5 hours 3 minutes 9 seconds observed by John Zemaitis, piloted by Maximo Mamani
Yulia Ovodkova (41, Russia, MSF bio here) 7 hours 33 minutes 23 seconds observed by Andrey Bozhko, piloted by Ovidio Mendoza
Sarah Roberts (42, USA, MSF bio here, @sorrysalad) 5 hours 58 minutes 42 seconds observed by Joe Zemaitis, piloted by Ismael Mendoza

Roberts said, “In a remote part of Bolivia, [the climate] is dry, the air is thin, and remote with few resources. I swam day one with lots of quick learning with ferry boat pilots who have never piloted swims, with broken English and Spanish. In the water, I felt great. My breathing was good and my heart rate was normal. The water was warm (by my standards 16°C) and the sun was shining. But the scenery stole the show. I’ve never been to a place so huge and awesome; a mix of rolling green hills, rocky shorelines, and super blue water as far as you can see.

The swim finish is on Isla del Sol, below the Incan Temple – Templo del Sol. Built in the early 1400s, it is considered the birthplace of the Incan Empire. This has got to be one of the more amazing places to finish a swim that I’ve ever experienced.”

On March 17th, three additional swimmers completed their swims along same 15.2 km course:

Sarah Thomas (43, USA, MSF bio here, @sarahswims04) 4 hours 42 minutes 36 seconds observed by Corey Murphey, piloted by Ismael Mendoza
Andrey Bozhko (39, Russia, MSF bio here, @nemec_mc, shown above) 6 hours 7 minutes 15 seconds observed by Yuliya Ovodkova, piloted by Juan Callisaya
Ashley Husmoe (18, USA, MSF bio here) 5 hours 54 minutes 48 seconds observed by Joe Zemaitis, piloted by Ovidio Mendoza

On March 18th, the last group swimmers swam between the shores of Copacabana to the foot of the ruins of the 15th century Temple of the Sun. Both Murphey and Zemaitis completed the longest known unassisted swim in Lake Titicaca at the highest altitude in history. They completed an unprecedented 30.4 km two-way crossing along the course:

Corey Murphey (35, USA, MSF bio here, @c_murph_swim) 9 hours 30 minutes 39 seconds observed by Sarah Thomas, piloted by Ovidio Mendoza
Joe Zemaitis (45, USA, MSF bio here, @joe.zemaitis) 11 hours 59 minutes 27 seconds observed by Gerald George, piloted by Ismael Mendoza

On March 18th, the last group swimmers swam between the shores of Copacabana to the foot of the ruins of the 15th century Temple of the Sun, enjoying the beauty of the course and their new global teammates:

Andrew Packer (31, USA, MSF bio here, @apswims) 4 hours 57 minutes 19 seconds observed by Sarah Roberts, piloted by Juan Callisaya
Maggie Regan (33, USA, MSF bio here) 5 hours 26 minutes 12 seconds observed by John Zemaitis, piloted by Ronald Mamani

Parker [shown below] said, “It’s not often that swims bring so many people together at once, but a swim is always made so much better with a pod of like minded individuals. Incredibly grateful to spend a couple of days with the superstar group assembled at Lake Titicaca this week. An incredibly accomplished and impressive team, it was an absolute honor to be a part of this. Four countries were represented here, with 13 swims across 3 days. Love this sport and this global community.

Gerald George (67, USA, MSF bio here), Anel Sytdykova (47, Kazakhstan, MSF bio here, @sytdykova_anel), and Angelina Calderon also attempted the 15.2 km course.

Zemaitis wrote, “The struggle was real. 60°F to 61°F water never quite felt warm, and the challenge of 12,500 feet of elevation made it feel at times like the oxygen would never come. Getting a mouthful of water from the chop, annoying on any other swim, was brutal, as missing that breath felt like it would take a minute to recover from. I had to dig deep to finish those 12 hours of swimming. It was like trying to breathe through a straw while your arms fight the weight of the sky. Eventually, some 7,000 strokes past the tree (those who were there know what I’m talking about) I ran out of water and made it back to the starting point.

It was a magical experience, Swimming in the Sky.”

For additional details, visit the Marathon Swimmers Federation Swim Ratification information here.

To register for the Lake Titicaca Expedition Swim next year in March or early April 2027, sign up here.

El Cruce de Islas Sol y Luna – 20th Edition

This coming week on May 16th, the 20th edition of the El Cruce de Islas 2026 – XX Edición (@cruceislas) will be held on Lake Titicaca. For more information on the solo or tandem 7.5 km or 10 km races organized by Diego Cisneros, visit here.

On the borders of Bolivia and Peru in the Andes Mountains, Cisneros explains, “Prepare yourself for a unique experience, swimming in the crystal-clear and sacred waters of the highest navigable lake in the world, surrounded by stunning landscapes and a rich cultural history.“

There are two events in the lake at 3,811 meters above sea level: