Lewis Pugh has followed an unspoken rule during his career as one of the worldโs most daring endurance swimmers: do not talk about sharks. But he plans to break that this week on a swim around Marthaโs Vineyard, where Jaws was filmed 50 years ago.
The British-South African was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world โ and has taken on extreme conditions everywhere from Mount Everest to the Arctic.
โOn this swim, itโs very different: weโre just talking about sharks all the time,โ joked Pugh, who will, as usual, wear no wetsuit.
For his swim around Marthaโs 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 โ which he said were maligned by the blockbuster film as โvillains, as cold-blooded killersโ. He will urge for more protection for sharks.