By Khalida Sarwari
A marathon swimmer whose mission to swim from Santa Cruz to Monterey without a wetsuit was thwarted by jellyfish last year, is getting back in the waters Tuesday to emphasize the importance of national marine sanctuaries and healthy oceans.
Bruckner Chase, an ocean advocate from Santa Cruz now residing in New Jersey, will undertake the mission to bring awareness to ocean health, protecting special places, and the importance of national marine sanctuaries.
Chase will leave at 4 a.m. from Main Beach in Santa Cruz and end at San Carlos Beach in Monterey sometime between 2 to 4 p.m.
He will abide by English Channel rules for his swim, which prohibit the use of a swimsuit. He will don one standard swim cap and a pair of goggles as he braves the 54 to 58 degree waters.
A welcome party will be held at San Carlos Beach Park once Chase completes his swim and the BLUE Ocean Film Festival will officially kick off.
It will be Chase’s second effort to swim this section of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. His first attempt in August 2009 ended more than halfway across after he suffered from extensive jellyfish stings.
A support boat will accompany Chase with a crew that will include his wife, Michelle, a Coast Guard Rescue swimmer, and other ocean rescue professionals from New Jersey and Santa Cruz.
A research vessel from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will also accompany the team, scouting for safe routes through swarms of jellies and stinging nettles.
Ultimately, Chase plans to conduct similar swims in other protected areas in the National Marine Sanctuary System.
Chase’s 10 to 12 hour journey can be tracked through Twitter at http://twitter.com/mbnms.