Preparations underway before extreme swimmer Wiersig swims from Mahé to La Digue |12 April 2022
Mr Wiersig (left) during the swimming safety workshop yesterday (Photo: Thomas Meriton)
Preparations are underway to assess the risks and discuss Andre Wiersig’s state of mind before the German extreme swimmer attempts to swim from Mahé to La Digue.
The Open Ocean Project is scheduled for Tuesday April 19 and it seeks to enhance Seychelles as a travel destination with a pristine environment and strong advocacy for sustainability.
The National Sports Council (NSC) hosted a swimming safety workshop yesterday morning at the Olympic House, Roche Caïman to discuss issues related to such a feat. In attendance were NSC representative Alain Alcindor, the co-founders of TourBookers Mariana Atherton and Felicitas Geiss, representatives of the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA, lifeguards), the Seychelles Coast Guard and divers.
Mr Wiersig aims to make history by being the first person to swim individually between the islands of Mahé and La Digue which stands at approximately 51 kilometres apart. The swimmer and marine ambassador also wishes to use this opportunity to bring more awareness to the ocean critters and ocean sustainability projects. In this he plans to promote Seychelles’ efforts for sustainability, focusing on the oceans as a means of support for the local people and habitat for various species including endangered ones.
Discussions around the event which was initiated by a local private company, TourBookers and the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), started in December 2021.
The workshop yesterday also saw the participation of a team from the German swimmer’s side who included his wife, friends and family members as well as a German reporter and a captain who is also a nautical expert.
Together with local partners, the team reviewed the different people who will be involved in the project, the risks Mr Wiersig may face, the exact starting time and the steps to be taken before the start of the actual swim. So far the team has estimated that the event will take place at night due to the sun and the heat. Mr Wiersig is expected to complete the swim in a period of between 12 to 19 hours.
The most pressing issue currently is the weather and so far the winds have slowed down and the currents have to be measured as they can have an impact on the swim. The team is also slightly concerned by a specific area ‘the shark rock’ where the water is quite shallow as well as a small channel near La Digue which is reputed for its high currents. Another risk of swimming at night is the possibility of shark attacks even though there has not been any recently.
Mr Wiersig said he is feeling quite excited even though he had some worries previously with getting the team and partners together due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that the event is not something that can be planned a hundred percent, adding that the weather is much better than it was in December.
He has been in Seychelles since a week now and has acclimatised himself to the islands’ waters.
Marla Simeon