A Visit From Dolphins – and 7,000 Signatures Behind the Mission

A settled start and a faster finish marked a solid 20km day on Friday as Jono moved down the eastern edge of the Coromandel Peninsula, logging his 30th swim leg on 30 January in his epic Swim4TheOcean. 

Another milestone marked was more than 7,000 signatures on the call to end bottom trawling.  

After an overnight camp at Little Bay, Jono was in the water just before 7am for the first swim of the day. Morning conditions were calm with little wind. While conditions were favourable, there was limited current assistance, and progress during the three-hour swim was steady rather than fast. 

The second swim, starting just after 5pm, played out differently. A light breeze had built through the afternoon, bringing some chop and a bit more sea state. The upside was a stronger current, which helped lift Jono’s pace and translate into significantly better progress. Over nearly four hours in the water, he covered almost double the distance of the morning swim. 

The Mercury Islands were visible to the east as he tracked past remote sections of coastline, including Waikawau Beach and Whangapoua. 

A daytime break at Kūaotunu brought a generous local welcome, with campground owners Yvette and Baz waiving all charges and opening up their facilities and power to the team. “Thanks for choosing to rest at our spot. All the best for the journey ahead – awesome work.” 

On the water, a pod of common dolphins visited, and despite the remoteness of the coast, around half a dozen boats made the trip out to show their support. 

Saturday 31 January is a full rest day for Jono and the operations team.  

From Sunday morning, the mission pushes south towards Whangamatā, with a community stopover planned for 4pm on Monday, 2 February at Whangamatā Surf Life Saving Club. The afternoon will include a sausage sizzle, games, and a chance to hear directly from Jono. 

Beyond Whangamatā, the next community stopover will be held at Omanu Surf Life Saving Club, 15 Surf Road, Omanu, Mount Maunganui on Thursday 5, February at 4pm. 

Swim4TheOcean is driven by a clear purpose: calling for an end to bottom trawling. New Zealand continues to bottom trawl seamounts in its own waters and is the only nation still bottom trawling seamounts on the South Pacific high seas. Swim4TheOcean is calling on the New Zealand Government to end bottom trawling on all seamounts — at home and on the high seas — by the end of 2027, and to activate a rapid transition away from bottom trawling entirely. 

Total distance covered: 392km 

Yesterday’s swims — at a glance 

Swim 1

Start: 6:58am 
Time: 3 hours 
Distance: 7km 
Average speed: 2.3km/h 

Swim 2

Start: 5:06pm 
Time: 3 hours 47 mins 
Distance: 13km 
Average speed: 3.4km/h