Ultra-endurance swimmer Catherine Breed is slated to finish a historic 900-mile journey down the California coast off Coronado in partnership with the nonprofit WILDCOAST, culminating a trek that began in July. KPBS reported that the 33-year-old athlete was swimming along the La Jolla coast by Thursday afternoon, having logged well over 800 miles while managing unprecedented Pacific weather patterns, marine heatwaves, and persistent coastal pollution.
Red Flag Zone Off the San Diego-Mexico Border
As Breed approaches the final legs of her 900-mile swim, she faces the cross-border sewage crisis that forces recurring beach closures along the San Diego-Mexico border. High levels of pollution from Mexico routinely close waters off Imperial Beach and Coronado, leaving local residents unable to safely enter the ocean. Breed noted that she has tracked the Imperial Beach pollution since day one, marking the area as a red-flag zone in her planning spreadsheet.
It’s just heartbreaking that there’s a beach in California that the people that live in that area can’t go to and stay safe and stay healthy,
Breed said in an interview with KPBS. It’s kind of interesting to think that I get to spend four months in the ocean, and there’s people who live near the ocean and can’t even spend four minutes in the water because it’s so dirty.
Protective Strategies Against Tijuana River Plumes
To bypass the contaminated waters near the border, Breed and her support crew planned a route approximately one mile offshore, supplemented by a regimen of prophylactic antibiotics. Aurora Czajkowski, a marine chemistry student at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography who grew up surfing in Imperial Beach, explained that pollution entering the ocean from the river mouth forms a distinct plume. According to Czajkowski, this Tijuana River plume disperses in coastal waters and frequently becomes trapped directly in the surf zone.
Czajkowski noted that she hopes Breed’s journey brings national attention to the decades-long issue affecting South Bay communities. Breed’s support team consists of roughly half a dozen people following her in a boat.
Reversed Coastal Currents Slow Swimmer
Before reaching San Diego County, Breed encountered severe environmental obstacles throughout her route. She stated that historical data from NOAA typically shows a coastal current running north to south, but this year’s super El Nino reversed that direction, forcing her team to swim against a persistent head-current. Breed identified steering through tropical storms and hurricanes in the Pacific as the most difficult aspect of the swim.
The swimmer also observed biological disruptions linked to two large marine heatwaves. Breed reported seeing humpback whales only as far south as Pismo, alongside manta rays and devil rays appearing near Malibu and Santa Monica outside their usual range.
Mylar Balloon Debris in LA and Orange County Waters
During the segments of the swim through Los Angeles and Orange counties, Breed and her crew encountered heavy concentrations of marine plastic. While motoring out to her route, her support crew collected approximately ten Mylar balloons within a single hour.
Breed integrated plastic recovery into her daily routine. She expressed hope that her journey inspires local groups to form community-led initiatives focused on cleaning up polluted coastal waters.
Questions About Catherine Breed’s Historic California Swim
How many miles has Catherine Breed swum?
Breed has logged well over 800 miles since starting her journey in July, closing in on a total distance of 900 miles by the time she reaches Coronado.
What organization is partnering for the finish?
Breed is completing her journey with a ceremonial finish in partnership with the nonprofit WILDCOAST.
How is Aurora Czajkowski connected to the issue?
Czajkowski is a marine chemistry student at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography who grew up surfing in Imperial Beach before chronic pollution led to repeated beach closures.
Related reading