Two Pembrokeshire swimmers have completed one of the toughest challenges of their lives after circumnavigating Skomer Island in a mighty three hours and three minutes.
David Astins and Amanda Love completed the gruelling circuit on Saturday morning to help boost funds for the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.
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“We decided to do it simply because we both wan to support the vital work which the Trust is carrying out,” said David who runs West Coast Birdwatching.
“Yes, at times it was extremely tough, but what a privilege to nail something like this for such a worthy cause. And the support we’ve been shown by the community has been fantastic.”
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The couple have already surpassed their target with the total raised currently standing at £2,200, however the Justgiving page will remain open for the remainder of August for further donations.
Amanda is no stranger to ensurance swimming events following her solo English Channel swim in 2019 which she completed in an epic 12 hours and 53 minutes.
David is also an accomplished swimmer; in 2014 he swam from the Pembrokeshire mainland to Skokholm Island and two years later he circumnavigated Skokolm and in 2019 he and Amanda swam around the RSPB Ramsey Island.
The couple left North Haven at 7am on Saturday morning and got back just after 10am, which was just before the first boat of the day embarked for the island.
The couple hope that their swim will help highlight the importance of the work carried out on Skomer throughout the year as well as marine conservation in general.
The waters around Skomer Island and Marloes Peninsula off the coast of Pembrokeshire have been designated a Marine Conservation Zone thanks to the amazing abundance of sea creatures that live here and is the only stretch of water in the whole of Wales to have such a protected status.
Plants, crustaceans, fish and mammals depend on one another in a complex food chain in the varied underwater terrain which ranges from simple plankton to the grey seal for which the rocky shores and sheltered bays provide sanctuary.
Many other marine animals also call the water around Skomer their home. These include over 100 different sponges, 40 species of anemone and soft coral, and even 65 types of sea slug.
Donations to David and Amands’s fund-raising swim can be made vide the following Justgiving link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Skomer-Swim?fbclid=IwAR0mVU5SOqeFdv51b2HdYCGnDzStkPGU_NHdTbIFhze-WTGJj29MW7UI_xo
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