CAPE TOWN MAN ON COURSE TO COMPLETE 100 SWIMS TO ROBBEN EILAND TO RAISE R100 000 FOR SPCA

A Somerset West man is gearing up to swim 100 icy cold water swims between Robben Island and mainland Cape Town in a bid to raise R100 000 for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA and its wildlife animals.

Howard Warrington, 57, is dedicated to raising funds for marine life affected by ocean pollution and the irresponsible disposal of waste by humans.

He had already completed 93 crossings as part of his #Swim4Survival challenge.

He was expected to become the fourth person in the world to swim from Robben Island to a set location 100 times.

Speaking to News24, he said that he planned to swim 7.4km from the island to Blouberg once every week for the next seven weeks to make up his 100th swim by next month.

Each swim took him between two to four hours to complete, depending on the ocean current and wind direction.

He added that the sea temperature ranged from 10 to 14 degrees at this time of year.

“I’ve been involved in many sports throughout my life, but open water swimming was something that I always enjoyed. I swam my first Robben Island in just a Speedo. I had severe hypothermia and almost landed up in hospital. A year later I tried swimming it again, and after a bit of difficulty the body finally got used to the cold waters. I managed to continue doing this for a while now,” said Warrington.

He said when he jumps into the freezing water, he knows all too well that he’ll be very uncomfortable for the first 10 strokes, but said animals were enduring so much more for so much longer, and that’s what keeps him going. 

It costs the SPCA R450 to rescue and rehabilitate just one wild animal and its wildlife department operated at a cost of almost R1 million annually.

The insurance broker said he, his wife and their dog get into their rubber duck at Granger Bay at the V&A Waterfront, make their way to the island, from where he begins his swim.

“The rule of open swimming water is if you want your swim counted you must be registered by Cape Long Distance Swimming Association (CLDSA). So, every swim I do is accounted for and on every swim, there is a registered observer who monitors my swim protocol and timing.”

Warrington said the rubber duck was not allowed to go near the island, so he needed to jump off and swim 50 metres to the island, where his swims would then commence.

“Once I get up onto the island, I need to lift my arm into the air and then dive into the water and continue till I reach Blouberg. The boat is always in front of me as it guides me to the finishing line. My dog tags along in every swim, we call him our shark spotter inspector,” he said with a giggle. 

When he gets onto dry land at the finish line, he needed to lift his hand up again into the air for the observer to see him and end the time clock, indicating that the swim had been completed.

“This is not just any swim, a lot of planning and rules must be followed to have a successful outcome,” said Warrington.

He said that that animals hold a very special place in his heart and swimming for them was no hassle at all.

“It makes me proud that I’m doing something that will benefit the animals in the long run. Some of these animals go trough the worst kind of treatment in communities, and to know that the SPCA is the safe haven for them makes me proud to be apart of this initiative to swim for the animals, ” said Warrington.  

SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said that, over the past year, 2 023 wildlife animals had been admitted to the organisation.

Some of the wildlife the SPCA cared for include marine mammals and birdlife, porcupines, owls, tortoises, caracals, wild birds, marine birds, parrots, small buck and snakes to name but a few.

According to the SPCA, very often injured animals ended up at its unit as a result of human action.

“We hope that this event, Swim4Survival, will help to highlight the diversity of Cape Town’s wildlife, make the community aware of the role we perform with regards to monitoring and protecting these animals, address issues of ocean pollution and the impact this has on marine life and help people to live in ways that result in a kinder world for animals and all who live in it,” said Abraham.