The concluding stage of a significant journey often evokes mixed feelings. The relentless pursuit of a final destination is frequently accompanied by the realization that reaching it marks the end of an important chapter in one’s life.
For marathon swimmer Jono Ridler, these sentiments were heightened by the cheers of numerous supporters who gathered along the waterfront in Wellington to welcome him home.
In moments like these, where time seems to stand still, Ridler was determined to savor this experience. “I remember surfacing about 50 meters before entering the lagoon and being overwhelmed by the crowd’s noise and the sight of so many people,” he recounted to ABC Sport. “I was truly astonished by the sheer number of attendees.”
“The turnout was unreal. As I swam under the footbridge into the lagoon, I took a moment to do some backstroke and soak in the atmosphere, seeing the countless supporters lining the waterway. It was an incredible scene with thousands present. I paused several times to appreciate it, not wanting to rush to the finish, but rather to cherish this extraordinary moment. While many would capture it on film, the actual experience would flash by in an instant.”
Ridler emphasized that the event reflected the community’s support for the cause he championed — a cleaner ocean.
The large crowd was there to witness history as Ridler completed the longest unassisted staged swim ever recorded. After an arduous 90-day journey that began at Waikuku Beach in North Cape, New Zealand’s northernmost point, he finally reached Wellington’s Whairepo Lagoon. During this monumental effort, he covered an astonishing distance of 1,367 kilometers, spending a total of 468 hours in the water.
His determination captivated the nation, rallying support around his mission to end bottom trawling, a fishing method that devastates marine habitats and harms biodiversity.
“Our mission was straightforward,” Ridler stated. “We aimed to unite Kiwis and the global community in the fight to protect our oceans and advocate for their health. Growing up near the ocean, like many Kiwi children, I developed a deep connection to this environment, which was further strengthened through my experiences as an ocean swimmer. The devastation I’ve witnessed over the years has fueled my desire to make a difference.”
New Zealand boasts the fourth-largest exclusive economic zone globally, encompassing roughly 4 million square kilometers, which is 15 times its land area. This vast maritime territory is crucial, stretching from the Kermadec Islands in the subtropical South Pacific to the subantarctic Campbell Islands in the south, where the effects of climate change are increasingly visible.
However, only 0.4 percent of this marine area is currently protected, in stark contrast to approximately 30 percent of the country’s land. “Clearly, something is amiss here,” Ridler noted. “It’s essential to safeguard these waters for future generations to ensure that the abundance we once enjoyed can be restored and maintained.”
Having been an ocean swimmer for around 15 years, Ridler has tackled New Zealand’s major open water challenges, including the 23-kilometer Cook Strait in 2019, the 40.4-kilometer Lake Taupō in 2020, and the 28.6-kilometer Foveaux Strait in 2021, joining an elite group of only ten individuals to achieve this feat.
His passion for raising awareness about local ocean issues led him to collaborate with Live Ocean, a conservation charity founded in 2019 by renowned Kiwi sailors Blair Tuke and Peter Burling. In 2023, under the Live Ocean initiative, Ridler undertook a remarkable 99-kilometer non-stop swim from Great Barrier Island to Campbells Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, completing it in over 33 hours under challenging conditions. This swim set the record for the longest unassisted continuous open-water swim in New Zealand, aimed at highlighting the need for protection of the Hauraki Gulf, the coastal waterway he had just traversed.
His advocacy efforts proved successful, as the Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill was enacted in October 2025, establishing 19 new marine protected areas.
Ridler’s latest venture, swimming from the top of the North Island to Wellington, was another ambitious idea that he pursued.
Speaking with ABC Sport from his Auckland home just days after the swim, Ridler appeared remarkably well, sporting a sun-kissed complexion with faint goggle marks around his eyes, a testament to his incredible journey.
