Durban will once again host the Breathe World Ocean Day Swim
Image: Ant Grote /Gameplan Media
Durban will once again take the plunge in the battle against ocean pollution when the fourth annual Breathe World Ocean Day Swim takes place at the Durban Beach Club on Friday June 7 — just a day before World Ocean Day is commemorated globally.
This much-anticipated mid-winter open water swim has grown into South Africa’s biggest ocean swimming event, spearheaded by record-breaking endurance swimmer Sarah Ferguson, a tireless advocate for marine conservation. The event is not only a challenge for swimmers but a powerful platform to raise awareness about the urgent need to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans under the campaign, Save Our Sea (SOS).
Ferguson, who also leads the event’s beneficiary organisation, Breathe Conservation, said the swim is driven by her deep love for the ocean and a growing concern over its declining health.
“As an ocean swimmer, I’ve personally witnessed the damage pollution causes. This event is my way of giving back to the sea and encouraging others to protect it too,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate our beautiful coastline while highlighting serious environmental issues like plastic waste, sewerage leaks, and flooding that threaten our marine ecosystems — especially here in Durban.”
Sarah Ferguson is the driving force behind the Breathe World Ocean Day Swim
Image: Ant Grote /Gameplan Media
Participants can choose from four swim distances—800 metres, the traditional 1.6km mile, a more testing 3.2km, or the full 5km Olympic distance.
The event is closely aligned with World Ocean Day, a global movement that aims to foster awareness and encourage action to protect the planet’s vital marine resources.
Breathe Conservation, a South African-based non-profit organisation, works to eliminate single-use plastics and reconnect people with nature. Guided by the motto "Live Deeply, Tread Lightly", the organisation offers educational resources, organises regular beach and reef clean-ups, and creates events like the Breathe World Ocean Day Swim to inspire change.
Entries for the swim are now open on the MyActive platform at breatheworldoceandayswim2025.myactive.co.za. The first 300 swimmers to register will receive a free event towel, and all participants will receive a swim cap.
To learn more about Breathe Conservation and its mission, visit www.breatheconservation.org.