Swimmer aims to circle Martha's Vineyard to educate public about sharks on 50th anniversary of 'Jaws'

An athlete will aim to be the first person to swim around Martha’s Vineyard to educate the public on sharks at the beaches where the blockbuster movie "Jaws" was filmed.

Beginning Thursday, Lewis Pugh will attempt the swim in 47-degree water during the start of white shark migration season.

The swim is planned to correspond with the 50th anniversary of “Jaws.” The 55-year-old swimmer is specifically taking on the challenge because he wants to change public perception of the vulnerable animals. He says they were maligned by the 1975 film as “cold-blooded killers.”

He’ll urge for more protections for the animals while he completes the 62-mile swim in about 12 days.

He begins the journey just after the New England Aquarium confirmed the first white shark sighting of the season, earlier this week off the coast of Nantucket.

The British-South African was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world — and has taken on extreme conditions everywhere from Mount Everest to the Arctic.

On Thursday, beginning at the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, he will swim for three or four hours in the brutally cold surf, wearing just trunks, a cap and goggles. He'll spend the rest of his waking hours on the island educating the public about sharks. Then, he’ll get in the water and do it again — and again, for an estimated 12 days, or however long it takes him to complete the 62-mile loop.


(AP Photo Charles Krupa)