Acknowledging the conditions, the team made the call to pull the swim and reset, bringing his total distance to 778km.
Only 2.37km Banked in Tough East Coast Conditions
By Live Ocean
24/02/2026
Read time: 3 min
Article Summary
Main Points
Despite the setback, public support continues to surge, with more than 18,000 people now backing the call to end bottom trawling.
A tough afternoon on the water saw Jono add just 2.37km to the Swim4TheOcean total yesterday (Monday, 23 February), battling stubborn current off the east coast on the North Island, to the south of East Cape.
His effort isn’t going unnoticed, and signatures on the call for an end to bottom trawling continue to grow, pushing beyond 18,000 the same day Jono faced the tough adverse conditions.
Starting from Reporua Marae and returning to the same stretch of coastline, Jono was in the water from 1:55pm to 3:57pm. Despite steady effort, strong adverse current and unsettled sea state meant progress south was minimal.
“I was swimming in the same spot for two hours – didn’t get very far. Currents moving against, some sea state as well… moving in the wrong direction. I could feel I wasn’t going anywhere – breathing and always seeing the same bit of land – normally a marker there’s not a lot of progress happening.
“So, we decided to pull it. Can’t do anything about it – sometimes you’re with the sea, sometimes you’re not. Try again tomorrow.”
Reporua is a small coastal community just south of East Cape and near Ruatoria in the Gisborne region and the team have been generously hosted at Reporua Marae
Jono’s total distance now stands at 778.46km on the live tracker as Swim4TheOcean continues its push towards Wellington, carrying the call to end bottom trawling.
The next planned community stopover is Midway Surf Life Saving Club in Gisborne, tentatively scheduled for 2pm on Saturday 28 February — timing subject to change depending on conditions and progress.
Total distance covered: 778.46km
Swim at a glance – 23 February
Time: 2 hours 2 minutes
Distance: 2.37km
Average speed: 1.2km/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
29,526 others calling for an end to bottom trawling!
29,526 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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