Swim Across Banderas Bay in Teams: A Resounding Success

The morning of Saturday, December 7th, 2024, was marked by the excitement and natural grandeur of the Banderas Bay, which hosted the Swim Across Banderas Bay in Teams, an event that combined sport, conservation and community collaboration. At 7:00am, under a stunning sunrise, the teams began their simultaneous swims in calm waters, accompanied by a natural spectacle of humpback whales, orcas, sea turtles, manta rays and dolphins.

Among the outstanding participants were Jorge Villegas, Jaime Lomelín, Arleen González, Paulo Strehlke, Carlos Franco, Patricia Kohlmann and Marcela De Niz, who led their respective teams with courage and dedication. Each participant completed their course without incident, conquering waters that were also the site of Stephanie Montero’s iconic swims in November 2023 and May 2024.

A Cause with Impact
The event was not only a celebration of sport and nature, but also a powerful fundraising platform to support six conservation projects promoted by the Swim for the Whales initiative. Thanks to the combined efforts of all the teams, the fundraising goal of one million pesos was surpassed, reaching over 1.3 million pesos. These funds will be used to protect humpback whales and the marine ecosystems of the Banderas Bay and the Mexican Pacific.

During the closing ceremony at the Las Palmas By The Sea Hotel, open-water swimmer and Swim for the Whales director, Stephanie Montero, presented awards to the participating teams. In her words of thanks, she emphasized the importance of sponsors, allies and participants in making this a ground-breaking movement.

Comprehensive Conservation Projects
As part of the closing activities, which took place in Puerto Vallarta and the Bahía de Banderas from December 6th to 9th, Stephanie presented six comprehensive projects led by allies including ECOBAC, WWF Mexico, CONANP, CUCosta-UDG, Limpia tu Mar and marine biologists. These initiatives address critical challenges including whale entanglement rescue, ghost net removal, whale watching monitoring, coral restoration, the Zero Bay campaign and environmental education for children.

The Dr. Armando Soltero Auditorium of the Centro Universitario de la Costa (CUCosta) was the setting for this presentation, where the efforts of Swim for the Whales and its intentions to implement sustainable initiatives were recognized.

Towards a Sustainable Future
Stephanie underscored that this year’s achievements are just the beginning. During the closing ceremony, she called for collective action to ensure the long-term sustainability of these projects. “These resources are temporary, so we must seek sustainable strategies to maintain this impact over time,” she stated. Additionally, she encouraged more allies to join and strengthen the movement, which now includes over 100 collaborators across various sectors.

Photo by Jules Clark.