Why You Can’t Just Swim Straight Across the Ocean | The Swim

Ben Lecomte’s route across the Pacific took years of planning, with input from meteorologists, oceanographers, and salty sailors alike - but it turns out this wild ocean packs some punches that can’t be anticipated.
Could the Biggest Ocean Recording Ever Made Redefine Marine Science? - • Could the Biggest Ocea...
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Introducing ‘The Swim’: A 5500-Mile Expedition Across the Pacific Ocean
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"Ben Lecomte and his crew embark on a historic swim across the Pacific Ocean in an effort to gain awareness on the state of ocean health."
A 51-year-old just began a 5,500-mile swim across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to San Francisco
www.businessinsider.com/swimme...
"Throughout the entire trip, Lecomte and the boat accompanying him on the journey plan to collect samples and test the water, looking for everything from contamination from the Fukushima incident to the presence of microplastics in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch."
[THE WIRE] Citizen science
benlecomte.com/the-wire-citize...
"Right after my internship, I knew about The Swim and the project seemed amazing, it was all together: An expedition across the Ocean, with a guy swimming to spread awareness about ocean pollution, with a sailboat supporting, with a citizen science program to collect data and samples. I thought: Yes, I wanna be part of that."
____________________
Ben Lecomte's historic swim across the Pacific Ocean is a feat that can’t be missed. Join us as we dive into the most extensive data set of the Pacific Ocean ever collected. Learn about the technology the Seeker crew is using to deter sharks away from Ben and measure the impact of the long-distance swim on his mind and body. Ben's core mission is to raise awareness for ocean health issues, so we’ll investigate key topics such as pollution and plastics as he swims closer to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, discover potential consequences from climate change, and examine how factors like ocean currents can impact his progress along the way.
Seeker explains every aspect of our world through a lens of science, inspiring a new generation of curious minds who want to know how today’s discoveries in science, math, engineering and technology are impacting our lives, and shaping our future. Our stories parse meaning from the noise in a world of rapidly changing information.
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[@Seeker]

Note: At 6:10, "less likely to increase in intensity" refers to a long-term trend of many open-ocean typhoons over time, when compared to those that make landfall. An individual storm is more likely to increase in meteorologically-defined intensity (maximum mean wind speed) the longer it stays over the open ocean.

[@wavey61]

I was about to comment to make that correction. Thanks for the clarification!

[@jackmitchell3681]

Seeker I

[@Infinion]

It's been shown that solar activity, especially coronal hole streams, CMEs, and flares, are strongly correlated to the increase in intensity of storms. By paying attention to the sun, your team of navigators will be able to look at existing systems and predict the likelihood of an intensification, giving you several more days to make important decisions rather than relying on meteorological trends alone. For more information see the recent study on Sun/Storms "Evolution of Extratropical Cyclones During Disturbed Geomagnetic Condition" from the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, and view the video below kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ6ZimijermJoZY by Ben Davidson on the mechanism. This is the direction that science is slowly waking up to and acknowledging. Considering it now in your models gives you a cutting edge in your predicting power and ensures the safety of everyone involved.

[@haydnrobidoux3914]

nerd

[@gn7535]

+Infinion Um... what? You're talking about correlation between activity on the sun and intensity of the storm. That is the literal definition of a trend but then you go on to say not to rely on trends alone. Also just because there is a correlation between something, it doesn't mean that there is any causation. There is a very strong correlation between the decrease in the number of pirates and the increase in the average global temperature. But just because there is a correlation that doesn't mean there is a cause. In the models they're using there is a reason for why the storms will intensify or go a certain way. Whether it's the location of a weather front or the current of the ocean. Using something like the correlation from solar flares as a reason to delay a return is an excellent way to end up dead. Edit: also just a side note. I tried to find some research papers talking about this and there are a couple on the topic.. One I found said that there was an inverse relationship between solar flares and the number of hurricanes in a year. And a research paper that said there was some relationship between the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic and no relationship in the Pacific. Once again, while there may be a correlation there is no reason to use that as a justification for delaying a travel back. While I know you don't have any malicious intent and that probably no navigator is going to see your comment; that kind of bad advice is what can get someone killed. If you'd like to read them you can see if you can request access from the authors (sometimes takes a few days or weeks) or if you have access from a university/college you can do it that way. Those two studies were - Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea and their relationship with sunspots - Berenice Rojo-Garibaldi The Effects of Space Weather on Hurricane Activity - Blanca Mendoza

[@ximar0ckstrx]

I dont know why... but there is something about what this man is trying to accomplish that brings me hope. The attention hes trying to bring to the oceans is beyond amazing. I'm rooting for this guy.

[@DjJooze]

Patricia Torres there's a documentary about something similar that I've just watched earlier about a crew of women crossing the ocean. its called losing sight of shore it might still be on netflix. here's the trailer kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnutppuPgN2qnrM

[@cameroncrawford1759]

Hope for what exactly...I’m confusion

[@ximar0ckstrx]

@@cameroncrawford1759 your use of the English language is what's "confusing". If you cant find inspiration in what these people are doing, then I truly pity you

[@ximar0ckstrx]

@@DjJooze thank you. I'm going to check it out. If it's not on Netflix I'm sure I can find it online

[@cameroncrawford1759]

Beautiful Afflictions 😂I’m confusion is a joke. You gotta be liberal if you missed the deliberate humor there. Don’t be a grammar nazi and don’t get offended when someone doesn’t understand how you feel about something, it makes you look pathetic. Now if someone could answer the question I have “hope for what exactly” that would be great. Because it was a question not a jab at what they’re doing you fucking snowflake

[@nothisispatrick4644]

So youre telling me to *NOT* swim straight in the ocean and miss my chance to meet spongebob? *I THINK NOT*

[@thoainguyen179]

No this is Patrick your name 😂😂😂

[@TheTrueAltoClef]

For the last time Patrick, that's not a fucking instrument goddamnit!!

[@rea8585]

Don't worry, you can still meet these Jamaican turtles from Finding Nemo ;)

[@carmenvasquez7691]

Quick Fix 😂😂

[@deadtoallnohonornohope]

Two words ...... Ocean man

[@dandanthedandan7558]

Perfect. I was just about to jump straight into the pacific ocean and swim for thousands of miles straight until you warned me not to. Thanks a lot!

[@Seeker]

What can we say except, 'you're welcome!'

[@actuallyarii]

DANDAN THE DANDAN wait is this sarcasm, or real?

[@hazoish7670]

Ari TheCreativeChannelTM sarcasm

[@actuallyarii]

@@hazoish7670 Okay thx XD

[@aaronburratwood.6957]

If you have never swam in the ocean, I mean beyond seeing land not on a beach, it’s a very humbling experience. With just a boat in view and nothing else. Even just being on a boat, in a large body of water with nothing else in sight is amazing. It seems odd after that to sit in traffic or wait in a line. I’d doesn’t feel natural.

[@Primalxbeast]

Aaron Burr At woods I prefer being under the water.

[@roberte362]

I prefer space. Soon I'll be joining the Space Force

[@Mr.Isquierdo]

I can barely doggy paddle

[@scona1621]

I have an irrational fear of water though, I would panic and probably end up causing myself to drown, I honestly don’t know why I’m so horrified of deep water either considering I have lived in Florida all my life and go swimming all the time, but any water where I can’t touch the bottom just makes me panic

[@seb9940]

Aaron Burr At woods "what did you mean with "I'd"?

[@rustyshackleford8086]

The balls on this guy. That's some deep cold water and there's some big fish in that ocean.

[@GummyYT]

Rusty Shackleford the ocean is wack

[@moreglutesmoredudes9974]

There's no difference if the water is 5m deep or 5.000m. You can drown in both. And there aren't really any fish to be concerned about, the only sharks that are aggressive are bull and tiger sharks. It looks scary but it's not that dangerous.

[@moustafatiea7112]

like pearl from spongebob

[@mr.personhumanson6871]

Why I can't swim straight across the ocean? Because I'd rather walk across Asia and into Europe, because the ocean scares the hell out of me

[@dubstepforever99]

same dude.. if i get in too deep water i panic.. i was in Thailand and they dropped us off the boat.. the worst part is that we got dropped off close to the island where i seen a shark movie.. i went up instantly .. no way in hell im staying there. I also was in mexico and they caught a barracuda on fish rod right before we were about to jump out of the boat.. no way in hell im jumping out of the boat.

[@circle4602]

Rumors say that you will have a chance of meeting Ocean Man if you go straight.

[@GuyNamedSean]

Will he take me by the hand and lead me to the land that he understands?

[@picklemick2750]

Who would i meet if i went in bent? A gay starfish?

[@deadtoallnohonornohope]

Yah ever heard of his non-existent brother emotion man

[@deadtoallnohonornohope]

Oh he also has a non existent cousin called lotion man

[@sanderostvold]

Ocean man, take me by the hand, lead me to the land that you understand Ocean man, the voyage to the corner of the globe is a real trip Ocean man, the crust of a tan man imbibed by the sand Soaking up the thirst of the land Ocean man, can you see through the wonder of amazement at the oberman Ocean man, the crust is elusive when it casts forth to the childlike man Ocean man, the sequence of a life form braised in the sand Soaking up the thirst of the land Ocean man, ocean man Ocean man Ocean man, take me by the hand, lead me to the land that you understand Ocean man, the voyage to the corner of the globe is a real trip Ocean man, the crust of a tan man imbibed by the sand Soaking up the thirst of the land Ocean man, can you see through the wonder of amazement at the oberman Ocean man, the crust is elusive when it casts forth to the childlike man Ocean man, the sequence of a life form braised in the sand Soaking up the thirst of the land Ocean man

[@CuriosityCulture]

This is the question I ask myself every time I fly over oceans haha

[@waynecure32]

To Mecca and back? lol

[@TheMarkoPoloProgram]

I see you all over KZbin my dude haha!

[@RoccosVideos]

How could they keep the boat in the same spot when he’s not swimming? An anchor is not an option in very deep water.

[@rustyshackleford8086]

I don't know for a fact but I'm sure they're using GPS to return to the point of origin that stuff's pretty accurate.

[@conors4430]

Dunkleosteus there are thruster devices that boats have that allow them to stay stationary in the water and the computer corrects any movement, ships with cranes on them and the like use it, it uses GPS. I was on a cruise ship last year in the Mediterranean that used it off Santorini because the water was so deep

[@Ramiromasters]

The stars and the smell of the ocean tells you all you need to know lad ARRRGG!

[@jamesbizs]

conor smith you’re talking about multi million dollar systems there. Pretty sure that has nothing to do with the context of this video or the OP’s question

[@swinde]

The GPS IS very accurate, but the shell programs that provide the driving instructions sometimes have hiccups. I was in north Atlanta back in 2011, and the GPS instructed me to make a U turn at the next possible place, even while I could see the hotel directly ahead about three blocks away. There was a funny Allstate commercial in the last 10 or 15 year that the GPS directed a turn to a dead end street and then produced the "calculating" response.

[@mukamuka0]

Someone please stop this man before he swim out off the edge and fall off the flat earth!! /s

[@thatsalotofdamage8568]

Sheep Gaming he is

[@diyeana]

Sheep Gaming did you see the /s at the end? /s = end of sarcasm

[@adriangutz]

lmao

[@notsoclearsky]

Isn't the escape character '\' btw not '/'?

[@VladDascaliuc]

Saxaphone lessons for beginners Are you?

[@rea8585]

This short documentary was very inspirational. It's rare to find such good videos on KZbin nowadays! I aim to be that interesting on my channel and hope I'll ever be! Thanks Ben and thanks Seeker! Great Job!

[@fortune8616]

*What about Ali a?*

[@gravijta936]

I'd swim across the Pacific too, but I'd miss my chickens too much.

[@Mattstiless]

Why did they cross the road?

[@zeronova1484]

Eat the chickens so that they will give you strength to do it.

[@mechadonia]

Don’t worry I’d cook them u- I mean take care of them for you

[@stephenmiller9009]

There is nothing more important on the other side of that water than those little feather ball dinosaur grandchildren

[@stephenmiller9009]

SnottyLottie lol

[@kaushikgupta9490]

Keep it up man ! You will eventually make it !!

[@jefkoele-wijn8872]

This was interesting to watch

[@lukasluinge2629]

Jeffrey Koelewijn Het rare is is dat ik jou altijd bij powned videos in de comments zie en nu bij een engelse video weer😂😂😂

[@TaiStar42]

from the title I didn't know someone was going to try

[@VladDascaliuc]

Because you would end up falling from Earth. Duh.

[@bradirv]

Vlad Dascaliuc of course 😂

[@Furkward]

Yeah lol

[@iwatchyoutubevideosnotmake7235]

Roblox-

[@JedzLigsay]

Good luck, Ben and Crew!

[@RedLeader327]

Amazing quality, like whoa.

[@niki123489]

Keep it up guys! You can do it!

[@timekiller6163]

5:50 Lil Dicky out there helping em out LOL

[@windmacher]

Is he swimming and the boat anchoring when he boards? or do they secretly sail on?

[@windmacher]

k

[@redheadlena14]

Can the swimmers feel it when they are in the Kuroshio current or does it feel the same whether they are swimming 5 miles vs. 45 miles in day (due to being in a current)?

[@keriezy]

Good luck Ben!

[@lalmihring7130]

GOOD LUCK, BEN!

[@PopsiclesInMyCellar]

Speed swimming!

[@duolingoowl3262]

PopsiclesInMyCellar your profile pic just mind fucked me so hard as soon as I looked at it.

[@fatguy1121]

How do you measure ocean currents just by looking at it from a satellite, wouldn't you need finely placed markers to track their movement?

[@hgbugalou]

"Typhoons weaken when they stay over open ocean" What? It is exactly the opposite of that!

[@Seeker]

Good point Michael O! See pinned comment :)

[@Sahasrahla.]

Did anyone else giggle at 2:23 when the guy said "...so he can cover a lot more ground..." :D

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

! What happened to the broken sail mast?

[@RobertoCarlosM]

Sponsored by seeker, nice. Keep the good work

[@leoelliondeux]

This is why I'm subscribed to this chammel, I know I will get great scientific videos

[@Ichsukatanuka]

Because... sharks.

[@amadeus1541]

Ichsuka I think that if you don’t purposefully try to attack the shark, it’ll leave you alone.

[@mr.classico7986]

This is the coolest thing happening in 2018 right now!!

[@TotoroChinchilla]

You could just sit on the boat and say you swam it.. nobody would even know

[@jamescusack6511]

TotoroChinchilla but where’s the fun in that? ;)

[@Mr.Isquierdo]

There should be a way we can track the course, see how it's going like a live feed or graph

[@TheCmb89]

Suddenly my 14 hour shift at my factory job doesn’t suck so much. Props to that man. Especially while swimming with a beard. That’s gotta be some sort of swim lag?

[@ChrisBullock1978]

I wonder if he is going to meet the huge platic island there in the pastic, Does any one know if we have satellite images of the plastic island?

[@immensa]

“The circumference of the globe” 😂

[@krishmistry2608]

I can't even swim.

[@bre5264]

I was in japan trying to fly home when we saw the typhoon forming wowow

[@nrmdm]

"I swear I was just here 10 minutes ago."- Me when trying to swim across a lake.

[@Remas20007]

Legend has it that this man is still swimming across the Pacific ocean

[@FuneralGraveMemorial]

Legend has it Micheal Phelps can do it with no breaks

[@krylesangerbeaver]

"Swims across Ocean" It is important they don't take unnecessary risks I understand avoiding 12m waves, but this still seems ironic to me.

[@JeandrePetzer]

What is that rope @ 2:48?

[@pscyokilla]

Interesting watch. song at 5:20?

[@JWMCMLXXX]

If I walk across the country, but sleep in a hotel every night, I still walked across the country. For some reason it doesn't feel the same when this guy climbs out of the water. It feels like the challenge is the whole part about staying in the water. A human can swim the English Channel. A human cannot swim across the Pacific Ocean.

[@kyrlics6515]

Jason Wood yes can

[@Mr.Isquierdo]

Too long in the water and his flesh would start becoming gelatinous and fall apart

[@azlan194]

I mean, no one is stopping you from walking across the country and sleeping at a hotel. People would still call that a great feat. But do note that swimming for 8 hours a day is A LOT MORE difficult than walking 14-16 hours a day.

[@EricLeePiano]

I think it's because when it comes to swimming, it's assumed that if you stop, you will drown. Whereas on land, you can stop and take a break whenever. That's why long distance swimming records are considered to be more difficult since you cannot stop to take a break. So whenever he climbs onto the boat to rest, it goes against our mental assumptions and that's why it feels like it doesn't "count"...

[@jazzeeeecrock]

🤔 I see what you're saying. What is it that makes us think that walking across the country and swimming across the ocean are any different? Is it just a matter of semantics? "Swimming" across the ocean or "walking" across the country are exactly the same. You can't literally keep walking across the country just as you can't just keep swimming across the ocean. Both require stopping for breaks. Its strange that once the swimming stops and he gets in a boat to rest we think that's cheating. Very weird! Lol

[@sidla6989]

4:35 what song is this?

[@tauren00]

Great video! Next time do "Why You Can't Just Simply Walk Into Mordor".

[@Gryflir]

The ocean is scary

[@barackyobama6139]

Dang, there goes my plans for Sunday

[@zombiecrisis7]

That is brutal

[@RalphIgnacio]

I'd like to see this on the Discovery Channel as a full feature, with the hosts from Seeker as the presenters.

[@joshuabinkley9864]

ugh. time to change my weekend plans

[@jecabreradc]

GO team!

[@CDMAHTCDESIRE]

the farther up you go the circumference is smaller???yeah unless you move the equator to the higher plane..its the same as the before...perspective....

[@jubbapalmer8495]

Oh how fun

[@TheTechnicalNirl]

Ouch

[@Davewithamullet]

Go dude. You can do it

[@DiCola119]

I guess I have to leave a comment because I'm so early

[@prakhar9473]

Thanks for your comment, come again soon :V

[@MrYoungHegelian]

Does this finally prove that the Earth is not Flat?

[@zaidOoOoO14]

MrYoungHegelian so it wasn’t already proved?

[@semiramisbonaparte1627]

no

[@liftlash98]

+Semiramis Bonaparte why?

[@kostam.1113]

Because he said so, and God sad to him the same thing.

[@liftlash98]

+Alex Houd Who "proved" it? (I want individual names of scientists, not a group of people or anyone without a scientific background) What "methods"? What "scientific gear"?

[@brotworm1489]

Because it gets too spooky when you can't see the bottom

[@williamhenley8593]

Most of the ocean then

[@thatdude1278]

What if water covers the tube he is breathing through? I mean even if ir happened for a while water would get into his lungs wouldn't it?

[@ytubeanon]

Poseidon was like nope and sent 3 tropical storms

[@Discusser]

I was watching another one of your video and got this notification.

[@bruni15]

That persistence...

[@ryansmotorsports2199]

How the hell do you guys avoid sharks and other dangerous aquatic lifeforms?

[@Richard_allrich]

Sharks aren't really dangerous..

[@Sha0linShadowb0xing]

Sharks aren't just swimming near the surface of the OPEN ocean 24/7. They stick to the shores and swim deep under water when crossing oceans, like 1500-2500 feet deep maybe more.

[@ryansmotorsports2199]

DrewD, Doesn't mean they can't feel you swimming and decide to come up and I didn't just mention sharks alone.

[@ryansmotorsports2199]

24/7 not implied, but that insinuates that there's a chance that they aren't always swimming in the deep. They come up at boats all the time. You have to consider the distance that man is attempting to swim lol.

[@dubstepforever99]

yeah Ryan it scared the hell out of me too.. the deep sea scared the crap out of me

[@chrisloving8378]

Why so many oranges? Scurvy preventatives? @seeker

[@lostsoul6679]

What a mad lad.

[@RodrigorReyes123]

You’re telling him this now 🤔

[@Willpower360]

A wild hurricane has appeared!

[@caruser4]

Damn, I was about to head out tomorrow. I guess not anymore

[@DragonAurora]

"Ben's core mission is to raise awareness for ocean health issues" Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah.....okie dokie.

[@14llison]

Well I can’t swim so idk I watched this but I was thoroughly entertained

[@drewberry8945]

Challenge accepted. Gonna swim Tanzania to Australia (indian ocean) Portugal to North Carolina (atlantic ocean) Japan to Oregan ( Pacific ocean)

[@Chicktopuss-zh8jr]

gonna save you some time here. sharks. the answer is sharks.

[@Stevesrssrssrs]

Why would you swim in Typhoon season?!!

[@gtb_greedy7208]

Hold my beer.

[@agnosticii]

being in that water would absolutely petrify me.

[@dontreadmyprofilepicture4847]

Interesting

[@ps8861]

People like this impress me, but my anxiety for open oceans made me sweat so much I have to shower after this video. How is he not afraid when he is staring into the abyss for hours every day?

[@moy447]

5:51 tf lil dicky doing here? lol

[@charlesn8234]

He should have to start again from the beginning after the typhoon scare in order for it to count as a continuous Pacific Ocean crossing, no?

[@WintersunForever]

"Don't take any unnecessary risks" This whole fucking thing is an unnecessary risk. Lol

[@iwantsquareballoons]

hold my beer

[@jesusespinosa7258]

Real life aqua man hahahaha

[@Sean-kp1to]

There goes my weekend plans

[@mrbrightside3771]

All I would think about is, pls shark don't eat me.

[@danielthai7436]

Are those swinging oranges?

[@ryanstevenley9789]

Nice guyys

[@user-ph7lp2dl1q]

This is mind boggling. This guy should be an honorary Navy SEAL.

[@CaptainQwazCaz]

3:15 NEEEEAWW **sounds of german bombers over england**

[@LTRX_]

A dislike??

[@lookwhoscomin]

So its a matter of being pushed by the current from a to b than actually swimming

[@alexanderreusens7633]

earth.nullschool.net for those wondering what visualisation tool they used

[@Cristian-vl8pg]

This guy is an alumni from my university! Go MAVS!!!

[@MrGrombie]

Did Seeker sponsor this dude in his voyage? How is this a life story, when it is being generated by Seeker?

[@depression_pills]

imagine getting a cramps in the middle of the ocean

[@27dhan]

3:26 we need more people thinking like this man.