Lewis Pugh has followed an unspoken rule during his career as one of the world’s most daring endurance swimmers: do not talk about sharks. But he plans to break that this week on a swim around Martha’s Vineyard, where Jaws was filmed 50 years ago.
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The British-South African was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world – and has taken on extreme conditions everywhere from Mount Everest to the Arctic.
“On this swim, it’s very different: we’re just talking about sharks all the time,” joked Pugh, who will, as usual, wear no wetsuit.
For his swim around Martha’s Vineyard in 8-degree Celsius (47-degree Fahrenheit) water he will wear just trunks, a cap and goggles.
Pugh, 55, is undertaking the challenge because he wants to change public perception around the now at-risk animals – which he said were maligned by the blockbuster film as “villains, as cold-blooded killers”. He will urge for more protection for sharks.
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