The intrepid Spirit Orcas are looking to add a swim around North Pender Island to their list of achievements.
Between June 14 and 15, a group of six open water swimmers with intellectual and physical disabilities, will begin their swim at Thieves Bay, just outside the Orca Interim Sanctuary Zone, and swim around the island relay-style.
They will end their swim at Poet's Cove on the South Pender.
The Spirit Orcas have opted to exclude the Ocra Interim Sanctuary Zone on the North Island. The athletes don't want to interfere with the orcas' feeding patterns and wish to leave them at peace.
Throughout the 20-km plus swim the Spirit Orcas are expected to swim in waters ranging from 10 - 14 Celsius (without wetsuits) and encounter a variety of challenging conditions along the way.
Supported by a crew of experienced pilots, kayakers, safety swimmers and their Coach Susan Simmons, the team hopes to complete the swim in under 12 hours and become the first known group to swim this route.
"There are some interesting challenges along the route" said Simmons. "Outside of any anxiety the Spirit Orcas my feel around swimming in waters frequented by orcas, the waters off the northern tip of the island experience standing waves and the narrow canal between North and South Pender can push the swimmers backward if the timing is not just right."
These are uncharted waters for the team.
The Spirit Orcas also face a number of challenges not common in the Open Water Swim community including autism, Downs syndrome, anxiety disorders, Post-Traumatic -Stress Disorder, Epilepsy, blindness amongst others. To date they have completed relay swims in Lake Cowichan (35 km), Gunboat Pass and Hunter Channel in the Great Bear Rainforest (25 km and 20km), and an 80 km staged swim from Brentwood Bay to Colwood.
Click HERE to learn more about The Spirit Orcas.