Icy plunge for Antarctic conservation

British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh is embarking on the “most dangerous swims ever undertaken in the world” to call for a protected area in Antarctic waters.

He is braving freezing temperatures, leopard seals, and killer whales in nothing more than his Speedos to raise awareness of the need to protect Antarctica’s pristine Ross Sea.

Over the next five weeks he will undertake five swims, four of which will be further south than the current world record — held by Pugh — for the most southerly swim, in waters expected to be as cold as around -1.7C.