The Swim for Sharks story started eleven years ago, when a bunch of semi inebriated Divemasters & Instructors sitting in the bar, watching the sun set, chewing the fat, spouting as much drivel and crap as all Instructors & divemasters are trained to do during their professional education.
Dan Bolton, supping his bottle of Tiger beer, started a conversation about a movie he’d seen by a guy called Rob Stewart called Sharkwater but struggled to come up with anything else to say. Lara Roberts said ‘Ooh I love sharks’ then continued chugging down her bucket of Gin & Tonic. Big Blue Tech Canada (a person not a country, but about the same size), holding tightly to his bacardi breezer with extra lime, continued the conversation by talking about himself & how he knew how to swim. Jim Donaldson then added that Shark finning had become an enormous problem worldwide & that thanks to people like Rob Stewart & organisations like Sea Shepherd they were bringing attention to the cruelty of shark finning & that being conservationists ourselves we should organize a fundraiser for Sea Shepherd by hosting a competitive swim around the 3 islands of Nang Yuan. Dan agreed what a great idea that was and then went to the bathroom to check out his side profile in the mirror. Lara Roberts said ‘Ooh I love sharks’ then continued chugging down her next bucket of Gin & Tonic, and Canada squeezed cheese in agreement. And thus the islands best idea ever was created! By Jim Donaldson™
By collaborating with Dr Eco Jen, Manager at Big Blue Conservation and Gary Hawkes owner of SSI Thailand and Sharkskin, Jim single handedly pulled off corporate sponsorship & rallied together the whole of Koh Tao to create the greatest event the island of Koh Tao has ever bared witness to- Swim for Sharks. A 3.4 kilometer swim around Thailands most beautiful island, Koh Nang Yuan.
In its 11 years since conception we have had 11 different winners including a Canadian Commonwealth Games competitor Serena Green, a Russian KGB agent, a Kiwi Tri athlete, a 14 year old kid from Holland with the greatest name ever Bonk Stout, and everyone’s favourite competitor Nick Bufton, who after 5 years of training finally won much to everyone’s joy, and last years winner Yam Oren an Israeli who has been known to swim the Red Sea before breakfast. This year Bonk & Yam are competing again as is DM Stu Rhodda an Australian Schoolboys butterfly champion so it’ll be an epic race.
The swim sets off on Sunday at 12.30pm from Big Blue Diving Resort so its best you get your butts down before 11am to register & be in to win this awesome Swim for Sharks Trophy donated by 2 Koh Tao Craftsmen Rob Cooper & Giorgio.
Record Time is 54 minutes. How fast can you swim 3.4 kilometers?
