Merle Liivand, 'Mermaid Merle,' also known as the "eco mermaid," sets her eyes for another world record as she continues her advocacy for ocean cleanup.
Eco Mermaid For Ocean Cleanup
Liivand wanted to set her fifth Guinness World Record by swimming 50 kilometers (30 miles) around Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, and collecting trash. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said high levels of debris in the bay had threatened wildlife and public safety.
In a clip obtained by BBC, Liivand said she planned to break Guinness World Records by picking up plastics. In the footage, she can swim in the ocean while holding a piece of plastic.
Liivand is already a four-time Guinness World Record holder. She just broke her fifth record while picking up trash in the water.
She swam 48 kilometers with a mono fin around Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. She completed it in 14 hours and 15 minutes. A group of kayakers rotated, keeping watch as she swam.
According to her, it was insane because her bag was already full of trash, and she hadn't been in the water for four hours. She couldn't understand how there was too much trash in the water. She encouraged the people saying, "We need to do better."
Liivand said they have to save Biscayne Bay after collecting 35 pounds of trash from the bay. According to her, there were spots where it smelled like a toilet.
She added that there was a motorboat where she gave the trash she collected, and there was too much garbage in the water. She couldn't explain if the trash she collected were shocking, but she sounded emotional and frustrated.
Who Is Merle Liivand?
Merle Liivand is a national Estonian competitive swimmer. She's also a model, aquapreneur, CEO, ambassador, triathlete, and an international spokesperson.
She has partnered with National CleanUp Day due to her passion for saving oceans and planets. She has been featured in many swimming technical videos like Goswim.tv, Swimspire, and USA Swimming and in various networks, including ABC, NBC, and Telemundo TV.
She shared snaps and a video of her during the challenge on Instagram. She accompanied it with a lengthy caption.
According to her, she wanted to bring awareness to ocean pollution and encouraged the people to join her mermaid mission.
She noted that the 2030 climate goals are only seven years from now, so she chose 30 Miles to bring a voice to the United Nations Environment Program's 30x30 goals.
Liivand added that the bacteria and pollution could make the waters dangerous and some places, life-threatening. She said that it was her birthday weekend, and it wasn't what she had dreamed of growing old.
She promised to write more about it. However, she just wanted to release the heart-breaking experience.
Several of her followers thanked her for raising awareness about ocean pollution. Many also asked her how they could help or support her advocacy.
A number also congratulated Liivand for her achievement. One fan even wrote, "Real heroes wear mono fin, not capes" to honor the eco mermaid.
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