‘Aquaman’ conquers Bohol seas

PANGLAO, BOHOL -– Lawyer and environmental advocate Ingemar "Pinoy Aquaman" Macarine endured the strong current on November 12 to complete his open-sea swim from Pamilacan Island to Panglao Island in Bohol.

A long distance swimmer in his early 40s, Macarine, also a Comelec official in Bohol, admitted almost giving up as he experienced shoulder pain after being in the water for almost two hours.

“All of a sudden I had a problem with my right shoulder,” Macarine told reporters who covered the swim.

Macarine, started the swim at 6:30 a.m. from Pamilacan Island, which is part of Baclayon town in Bohol. It took him six hours and 43 minutes to complete the swim, with a total distance of 17.83 kilometers.

The Pamilacan-Panglao swim was his 34th open water swim, the 17th marathon swim in his career, and the 7th marathon swim in the Bohol seas.

Macarine got into open-water swims as part of his lifetime advocacy for marine resource protection, environmental tourism and climate change awareness. “I hope the swim will encourage or inspire fellow Filipinos to take care of our marine environment,” he said.

Macarine said the swim was also a part of his preparations for his last and final attempt to conquer the English Channel, a swimming route considered as the ‘Mt. Everest’ for open-water swimming, in August 2018.

Last August, Macarine was stopped by unfavorable weather conditions in his bid to complete the crossing of the English Channel due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Dann Diez, an environmentalist who heads the "Let's Do It Philippines" campaign, said he was amazed by Macarine's endurance.

"Even if his right shoulder was aching, he decided to go on and reached the shore of Panglao," said Diez, who watched the entire swim course.

(PNA)