Swiss swimmer Noam Yaron attempted an extraordinary challenge to raise awareness about Mediterranean plastic pollution: a nonstop 180-kilometer swim from Calvi, Corsica, to Monaco. Despite his determination and more than 102 hours in the water, Yaron was forced to abandon his effort just two kilometers from the finish line on 15 August, due to exhaustion and serious health risks.
The swimmer’s mission was not just about endurance but about alerting the world to the growing threat of plastic waste, with an estimated 600 tons of plastic entering the Mediterranean every day.
A 5-Day Struggle Against Fatigue and Currents
Yaron, 28, set off from Calvi on 12 August at dawn, supported by a catamaran guiding his route. He swam at an average speed of 2.5 km/h, without ever leaving the water, with supplies provided every 30 minutes to one hour.
By the fourth night, his team reported alarming symptoms: hallucinations, hypothermia, burns from saltwater, and severe disorientation. On the fifth day, as the coastline of Monaco came into view, Yaron became increasingly confused, forgetting at times that he needed to keep swimming.
After 190 kilometers covered in more than 102 hours, his support team made the difficult decision to pull him from the water and transfer him to a hospital in Monaco.
A Mission for the Ocean and Future Recognition
Yaron defines himself as an “eco-athlete”, using extreme challenges to draw attention to the urgency of ocean conservation. His swim crossed the Pelagos Sanctuary, a Mediterranean Specially Protected Area of Importance for its biodiversity.
Although he did not formally set a record, Yaron and his team hope for recognition from the World Open Water Swimming Federation (WOWSF), established in 2024 to promote safety and integrity in open water swimming.
This was not his first long-distance feat: in 2021, Yaron swam 80 km across Lake Geneva; in 2022, he completed 188 km across Switzerland’s five largest lakes; and in 2023, he tackled a 750 km triathlon across Switzerland.
While frustrated by being so close to success, Yaron told his team from the hospital that he still considers this swim a victory: “a world record for nature.”
