Merle Liivand Holds A New Guinness World Record For 9-Hour Monofin Swim

Merle Liivand set a new Guinness World Record for the longest and farthest monofin swim when he swam 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida.

Merle Liivand is a competitive swimmer, model, and aquapreneur from Estonia but most significantly, she's an eco-mermaid. She swam for 9 hours and 19 minutes without moving her arms, propelling herself only with her mermaid-like fin.

Merle is an outspoken opponent of marine pollution, and she utilises her long-distance open-water swims to raise awareness about the problem. She took the initiative, when she realised how plastic pollution harmed and confined marine life, she set a goal for herself to swim in the same direction as them. When trying to escape a net or plastic bag, most marine life has no limbs and only one tailfin.

She is certain that more attention should be paid to the waters. She became concerned about the rapid depletion of coral reefs during her vacations to Key West, Florida, over the years.

Merle's final straw came during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, when she observed all of the rubbish in the sea and on the beach. It was at this point that she realised she couldn't just moan about the problem any longer; she had to take action. During clean-up operations, She frequently retrieves plastic trash from the sea. Unfortunately, her efforts are insignificant in comparison to the 8 million tonnes of plastic that enter our waters each year.

She didn't want to wear anything plastic because she was breaking a record to raise awareness about ocean degradation. When it came to choosing an appropriate fin, this was her major priority.

If one of the limbs loses control while swimming without even a fin, then can take up the pieces with another but at the se time it is not possible with the monofin.

Merle, on the other hand, found the mental side to be the most difficult obstacle. Swimming for nearly nine hours is challenging enough on its own, let alone without utilising her arms or legs independently. It took a lot of courage to push through the discomfort for so long. She was able to keep going by recalling the environmental message she seek to encourage. Merle also put into consideration the daily struggles that aquatic creatures face her pain was little compared to theirs.

Meanwhile, Merle had major head and neck injuries when she was 12 years old after plunging into a tiny pool. She is currently assisting in the preparation of participants for the Paralympics, and she hopes to inspire more individuals to take up swimming.