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To mark World Environment Day, the SWIM association organized a swimming relay linking the 13 islands of the Tripoli – El Mina Sea archipelago, combined with a clean-up operation on the first island connected to the shore, called Al Bakar or Abd el-Wahab, which can be visited by crossing a bridge over the sea.
The challenge was considerable at this time of year when the sea is often rough. The swimmers’ mission was to swim between the thirteen islands including three that have nature reserve status: Palm Island also known as Rabbit Island which is the largest in the archipelago, with a surface area of around 181,000 m2; Sanani Island with a surface area of 45,500 m2; and Ramkine Island with a surface area of around 35,000 m2 also known as Fanar Island due to its lighthouse, and which is also the most remote being 10 kilometers from the coast.
By 5:30 a.m., 45 swimmers had gathered on the Corniche listening attentively to the multiple briefings by SWIM founder Nabil Aouad, head of security Marco Shado, head of swimmers Sevag Demerdjian, and head of civil protection Ismail Dalaty.
The first thing we noticed on the morning of June 3 was that the weather was acting up with very rough seas and strong gales. But this was without counting on the determination of the swimmers who were determined to accomplish their dual mission of combining sport and ecology.
At 7:00 am, with the first team in the water, the first difficulties were noticed: the swimmers had to face strong waves from the west and south-west, which deprived most of them from their kayak companion or SUP (stand up paddle boarding) support. Nevertheless, the challenge continued under high security alert until all the swimmers reached Île aux Lapins at 10:00 a.m. The decision was then taken to switch to Plan B as the most exposed section of the course ahead was the one between Île aux Lapins and Île Ramkin.
Plan B was to swim in the sheltered area of Île aux Lapins while the other islands would be covered by boat. The boat trip was epic and worthy of a 6-flag rollercoaster park. Waves were high, and this step was necessary to remove any trace of doubt from the strong-minded and courageous swimmers and to prove that it would have been unreasonable to swim in a rough and choppy sea.
On arrival in Mina, the joy was palpable, as a large crowd of 220 volunteers awaited the swimmers. 35 army soldiers, Red Cross youth, schoolchildren, environmental scouts, and Orthodox scouts from the region had done a fantastic job cleaning up Al Bakar Island and the surrounding area under the supervision of SWIM area managers and the invaluable support of the Minaty Association who made the event a great success.
9 m3 of waste and recyclables were collected and sent to the TRI recycling plant for processing. A thank-you ceremony was held during which certificates, medals, and shell bracelets were distributed to participants.