Sunny skies masked dropping temperatures and growing wind chill as the team prepared to enter the exposed waters of Hawke’s Bay.
Nine Hours In The Water Off Māhia
By Live Ocean
07/03/2026
Read time: 3 min
Article Summary
Main Points
With 940.8km now complete, the 1,000km milestone and 25,000 petition signatures are both within reach.
Jono was back in the water from 7am until 11am on Friday, 6 March, before coming ashore near Māhia Peninsula, where the crew had the rare bonus of watching a Rocket Lab launch from the coast.
He returned to the water at 2.39pm, swimming for close to five hours through the afternoon at a strong pace of around 3.3km/h.
By the end of the day Jono had logged close to nine hours in the water and around 28km of progress, another big push south.
It was a sunny day on the water, but temperatures are dropping and wind chill is becoming a factor, not just for Jono, but for the water safety crew alongside him for every minute of this mission.
The swim is now tracking around the outside of the Māhia Peninsula, a distinctive promontory on the East Coast. Beyond it lies the wide-open stretch of Hawke Bay, which will bring a new set of conditions and challenges.
The hospitality from locals continues to be remarkable. Yesterday the team came ashore on a remote beach on farmland near the tip of the peninsula, keeping transit time to a minimum and helping maximise time in the water.
Two milestones are now within sight. 1,000km is expected within the coming days, and the public petition calling for an end to bottom trawling is approaching 25,000 signatures – halfway to the 50,000 target.
The next community stopover has also been confirmed. Napier locals are preparing to welcome Jono and the Swim4TheOcean crew:
Tuesday 10 March | 3.30–5.30pm
Perfume Point, Te Karaka Reserve, Napier
According to the PredictWind live tracker, Jono has now covered 940.8km. Based on the projected route distance of 1,387.53km, approximately 446.8km remain to Wellington.
Follow Jono’s progress on the live tracker and sign the call for action at Swim4TheOcean
Total distance covered: 940.8kmkm
Projected distance to go: 446.8km
Swim’s at a glance – 6 March
Swim 1
Time: 4 hours
Distance: 11.82km
Average speed: 3.00km/h
Swim 2
Time: 4 hours 51 mins
Distance: 16.21km
Average speed: 3.3km/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
86,881 others calling for an end to bottom trawling!
86,881 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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