Talisker's Wild Blue Swim Challange for UK coastal restoration

KentOnline / KMTV

Swimmers have been taking a cold dip at Joss Bay as part of the Talisker's Wild Blue Swim Challenge  Amongst the few braving the waters are Olympic gold medallist, Rebecca Adlington, and actor James Norton   The swim is raising funds for a marine charity that is working on coastal restoration here in the UK.   Daisy page went down to Joss Bay beach to find out more...

Transcript

00:00The county's coasts are a vital but fragile ecosystem.

00:04They are threatened by pollution and overfishing.

00:06But here at Joss Bay today, despite being a little bit windy and wet,

00:10people are taking a swim to save our seas.

00:13Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington and actor James Norton

00:17are amongst the few taking the cold plunge for Talisker's Wild Blue Swim Challenge.

00:22It's one of those that I've always felt a really deep connection to water.

00:26It doesn't matter what water that is.

00:27I just love the feeling of swimming and being out just in open space.

00:32I just think it's absolutely incredible.

00:35And I think we all, if you live near the coast,

00:37we all kind of have a bit more of a connection to it because they see it.

00:40And the local community here, I think, are really knowledgeable on the marine life, on the sea.

00:47Whereas actually, once you get deeper away into the country,

00:51not so many people hear about it and see it and see it firsthand.

00:54So it's important to raise that awareness for everybody around the UK.

00:57Starting at 7 a.m. and set to finish at 5 p.m.,

01:01the 10-hour relay race is in support of Le Blue Marine Foundation.

01:05The challenge is raising funds for coastal habitat restoration

01:08and marks the launch of their new limited edition whiskey,

01:11which has been released in a 100% recycled glass bottle.

01:14So for every bottle of Talisker, the Wild Blue,

01:18three pounds is donated to the Blue Marine Foundation.

01:22And then we also have the swimmers for every collective kilometre swim,

01:26a further £150 is being donated to the Blue Marine Foundation.

01:30And what's amazing is we're already at a total of over £100,000.

01:34The Foundation's goal is to have effective protection

01:37for at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.

01:40Their recent research shows a global 92% reduction in seagrass meadows

01:45and 95% decline in native oyster reefs over the last century.

01:49Huge decline of these keystone habitats.

01:53Without these habitats, we can't build that sort of base of an ecosystem.

01:57If we continue to lose those habitats at a rate we have been,

02:01they'll simply be lost forever.

02:03So the active intervention to restore these habitats now really is key.

02:08And by restoring them, we not only provide benefits for nature,

02:13but also for humans.

02:14These habitats provide a huge number of ecosystem services.

02:18Events like this can continue the Foundation's work.

02:21Daisy Page for KMTV in Jost Bay.

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