Ness is More

MONSTER SWIM TO HIGHLIGHT THE KELP IN OUR OCEANS

Extreme adventurer Ross Edgley has broken the record for the longest ever open water swim in Loch Ness to raise awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting our oceans - particularly the sea kelp forests in Scotland. Supported by Talisker ('with every drop of whisky distilled by the sea') and Parley (short for 'Parley for the Oceans', an ocean conservation foundation) who together form alliances with local non-profit organizations around the world, providing grants to further support existing efforts in ocean research and protection, Ross said "The longer I've been working with Talisker and Parley the more I've learnt about sea kelp and how essential the preservation of these amazing sea kelp forests are."

Despite the fifth reported sighting of 'Nessie' this year on 27th August 2022 frolicking in the north of the loch where (according to Edinburgh Live news) she apparently created ripples lasting 7 minutes, Ross overcame any fears of 'what lies beneath' as well as enduring temperatures as low as 5C and battled winds of up to 20 knots and driving overnight rain. He spent 52 hours and 37 minutes (over two days and nights) swimming continuously without touching land or a boat and covered approximately 49 miles (79km) in the loch. He said he was spurred on by on by the of beauty of his natural surroundings and even had a flypast from aircraft above, but the swim stopped at Fort Augustus on Friday 23rd September 2022 - falling short of his original aim of 100 miles (160km) to beat the world record for the longest ever open swim in tideless water. However, he believes holds he's broken the record for the longest ever open water swim in Loch Ness! Tweeting from hospital on Saturday 24th September 2022 he said that whilst the swim hadn't entirely gone to plan and he'd update everyone later, he wanted to give his 'HUGE' thanks to everyone who'd supported him.

Talisker Whisky and Parley's project aims to protect the world beneath the surface of Scotland's waves, through supporting scientific research that aims to better understand the role played by sea kelp forests as carbon sinks. At the end of the challenge Ross said, "It was one of the biggest challenges of my career physically and mentally, but the important purpose behind it really motivated me to push myself as far as I did and I'm so proud to have inspired people to make a difference."