Strong breeze and amplified swell near Whangaokeno East Island tested the crew, but Jono maintained a powerful pace to clear the cape before a weather stand-down the following day.
East Cape Lighthouse Falls Astern As Swim4theocean Pushes South
By Live Ocean
21/02/2026
Read time: 3 min
Article Summary
Main Points
With more than 16,500 people backing the call to end bottom trawling, Swim4TheOcean continues its unprecedented push south toward Wellington.
East Cape Lighthouse is now behind them marking another significant milestone in Jono Ridler’s unprecedented endurance swim from North Cape to Wellington.
This swim has never been done before. New Zealand has never seen anything like it. The scale of the challenge is immense, but the 36-year-old Aucklander and the Swim4TheOcean support crew continue to meet every obstacle head on.
Since leaving the Far North on 5 January, Jono has embodied the swimmer’s mantra: just keep swimming. Beach banners read “Go Jono!” Boats pull alongside in support. More than 10,000 people have left a digital message for Jono at swim4theocean.org.
And 16,585 people have now signed the call asking the New Zealand Government to end bottom trawling on all seamounts – at home and in the high seas by the end of 2027 – and to activate a quick transition away from bottom trawling entirely.
On Friday, Jono and the Swim4TheOcean team departed base camp at Onepoto, Hicks Bay. A temporary communications issue delayed the start, but once resolved they were underway.
Blue skies framed East Cape, but strong breeze and testing sea conditions made for a challenging day on the water. Large following seas created difficult handling for the IRB crew.
Jono entered the water just before midday and made solid progress through the five-hour, 11-minute swim. Conditions eased slightly later in the afternoon, allowing him to maintain a strong average pace of 3.6km/h.
On-water Operations Lead Andy Tuke checked in at 2pm, relieved to confirm VHF coverage in the remote stretch of coastline.
“The good news is I reached Waihau Bay Coastguard on Channel 65 and let them know our intentions. They confirmed we have VHF coverage around the southern side of the Cape as well, which is reassuring,” he said.
As the team tracked closer to shore to pass inside Whangaokeno East Island near the lighthouse, shallower water and tidal convergence amplified the sea state.
Jono powered through the gap around East Cape Lighthouse and inside Whangaokeno East Island. Once around they were able to push out wider.
“We’ve widened our line a little to stay out of the shallower water – we’ve had a couple of waves over the back of the boat,” Tuke said.
Swimming through until 5pm before transiting ashore, the team is being hosted overnight at Reporua Marae.
A shift in wind direction has forced a weather stand-down today (Saturday 21 February), with the team aiming to resume swimming tomorrow. The next community stopover is expected in Gisborne in around a week.
Jono’s total distance now stands at 762.37km on the live tracker, with 625.16km remaining on the projected route south to Wellington carrying the call to end bottom trawling.
Total distance covered: 762.37km
Yesterday’s (20 Feb) swim at a glance
Swim 1
Time: 5 hours 11 mins
Distance: 18.55km
Average speed: 3.6km/h
Join The Call To End Bottom Trawling
New Zealand is still bottom trawling seamounts in our own waters, and the only nation still bottom trawling seamounts in the South Pacific high seas.
It’s time to stop being an outlier and protect the ocean’s most vital habitats.
We’re calling on the New Zealand Government to end bottom trawling on all seamounts – at home and in the high seas by the end of 2027 – and to activate a quick transition away from bottom trawling entirely.
We are a nation of innovators and ocean people.
It’s time to do the right thing.
For the ocean. For our future.
Add your name to the
29,544 others calling for an end to bottom trawling!
29,544 others calling for an end to bottom trawling!
Thank you for getting behind Swim4TheOcean’s ambition for a healthy ocean and supporting our call for an end to bottom trawling!
Leave your message for Jono
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