NEWS

Robben Island declared a Marine Protected Area

Aspiring Robben Island swimmers will now need to seek permission from the Island to swim there after it was declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA) by the Table Mountain National Park.

Robben Island, which is famous in the swim world for its cold Atlantic waters and abundance of wildlife, including whales, was one of 20 new protected marine sites announced in South Africa in June this year.

The island’s new status as a MPA means that there is now a strictly enforced one mile security radius around the island, meaning that no-one will be allowed to enter the area without permission.

To swim at Robben Island, swimmers must now seek permission through the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association’s (CLDSA) designated Robben Island liaison manager, Derrick Frazer and/ or Mervyn Bremner.

The CLDSA has stressed the importance of following this protocol, as a failure to do so could lose swimmers their right to complete the popular Cape Town to Robben Island swim.

For those wanting to take part in the Freedom Swim 2020, which will see competitors swim from Robben Island to BigBay Blouberg, the second qualifier takes place on 16 December.

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