Father and kids to swim across Palk Strait to raise awareness about protecting marine life

CHENNAI: Famous deep sea swimming coach Aravind Tharunsri, along with his nine-year-old daughter Thaaragai Arathana and seven-year-old son Nishvik, will be swimming across the Palk Strait on April 3. Their goal is to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the ocean. Aravind has been working on marine conservation and educating people about marine life for a long time. He has also been involving his young children in his activities. Thaaragai Arathana joined her father's mission two years ago. Today, the father and his two children are attempting to set a record by swimming from Sri Lanka to India across the Palk Strait.

“We'll commence our swim between 2.30 am and 3 am from Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka, swimming non-stop. Our goal is to reach Dhanushkodi between 4 and 5 pm. The distance between Thalaimannar and Dhanushkodi is 30 km approximately. Typically, it takes six to eight hours to complete the swim, depending on the swimmer's capability. However, my children are too young to finish in that time. So, we expect to finish the swim in 12 or 13 hours. We're swimming to raise awareness about plastic pollution and marine life conservation," Aravind tells DT Next.

 He adds that the children are excited about this expedition. “Thaaragai Arathana is deeply passionate about initiatives to raise awareness of marine life and ocean pollution. Although Nishvik is young and has just started to grasp topics like marine life and conservation, he recently swam from Neelankarai to Marina Beach in January. He is also happy and confident about this upcoming swimming challenge,” adds Aravind.

Thaaragai Arathana remains optimistic about the expedition, despite the cloudy weather. “If it rains, we'll have to swim in extremely cold water, and the water will be choppy. These are some of the challenges, but we hope to overcome them and complete the swim,” mentions Thaaragai Arathana.

Aravind emphasises the significance of this swimming expedition, particularly due to the involvement of two young children. “It's a major event considering that two young children are participating. The Coast Guard and Marine Police are helping us to ensure safety and coordination throughout the journey,” he states.