Catherine Breed swims 900 miles down the California coast
Catherine Breed completed a 900-mile open-water swim down the entire California coast, finishing her journey at San Diego’s Coronado beach on Monday afternoon, theguardian.com reported. The 33-year-old athlete swam about 10 miles a day over 111 days after beginning at the northern border of California on July 1.
Pacific Waters Tested by Super El Niño Currents
The endurance feat came during a season of Super El Niño weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean. Breed navigated waves reaching up to seven feet and described conditions that felt like swimming inside a washing machine. A huge surge of warm coastal water known as a Kelvin wave moved northward while Breed swam south. Breed told local news outlets that the current went directly against her team the entire way.
The support crew operated from a 52-foot sailboat, providing sustenance while Breed made land each night before returning to her exact stopping point. sfchronicle.com reported that the team occasionally waited out weather in remote stretches. Breed and her support team documented the endeavor for the World Open Water Swimming Association.
Navigation Through Polluted Border Waters
One of the final obstacles involved swimming past Imperial Beach near the United States-Mexico border. Breed described the area as containing some of the dirtiest water in the world, comparing the experience to swimming through sewage.
“Everyone’s been so fixated on sharks,” Breed said in a video posted to Instagram. “We are so scared about these animals that live in the ocean and have no interest in us, and we are more fearful about that than we are about the damage and destruction that we are causing to our own home.”
Breed Promotes Ocean Preservation Through Endurance Swims
Breed planned the expedition to test personal endurance, highlight environmental preservation, and encourage women and girls to spend time in the ocean. She left a career in medical technology sales and founded Sea Dreamers, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for people to experience and protect the ocean.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Athlete completes 900-mile California coast swimUltra-endurance athlete Catherine Breed has finished an unprecedented 900-mile swim along the entire California coast. The 33-year-old began her journey on 1 July at the northern border and reached San Diego’s… pic.twitter.com/GgcKKm3RUj
Prior to the 900-mile coastal expedition, Breed built a resume of open water achievements. She swam the English Channel in 2018 and completed the North Channel crossing between Northern Ireland and Scotland in 2019. In 2017, she set the record for the fastest swim across Lake Tahoe in under nine hours. In 2022, at age 29, she became the first person to swim from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to Half Moon Bay. Last year, she completed a 30-mile swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge.
“You cannot bring hubris or expectations into the ocean,” Breed told KQED earlier this year. “When I get in the ocean, it’s a full surrender. You’re completely present.”