50-Year-Old Swims Under 0 Degree Ice in Antarctica For Climate Change Awareness

In a bid to highlight the detrimental effects of climate change, endurance swimmer, Lewis Pugh, has finished a swim under the Antarctic ice at just about 0 degrees. The Plymouth swimmer braved the ice-cold waters to demonstrate the "very rapid changes" that is caused by climate change.

Pugh has earlier helped safeguard 2.2m square metres of ocean, including The Ross Sea, which was established as an MPA following a 2015 swim, the report has further added.

Speaking to BBC, Pugh said that it was the "most frightening" swim of his life, adding that "The swim was the accumulation of 33 years of training in order to swim 10 minutes and 17 seconds down that river."

BBC cited a Durham University study that said there are 65,000 supra-glacial lakes in East Antarctica alone, which have been formed by melting ice collecting on the source of ice sheets.

It went on to cite Pugh as saying that 'melt waters' was visible everywhere during his 10-minute swim.

According to the report Pugh revealed that there was the threat of the lake emptying into the sea through a crack in the ice sheet. The swimmer went on to add, "I swam here today as we are in a climate emergency. We need immediate action from all nations to protect our planet."

During his conversation, Pugh described everything to be a "shade of blue" under the sheets, adding that it was the most beautiful place he saw in the whole world in his "whole life."

Pugh called for the creating of a Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Southern Ocean and for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to take 'urgent action' against global warming in his attempt at raising awareness regarding climate change.