Swimmer circumnavigates Martha’s Vineyard for sharks : NPR

VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. — A British-South African endurance athlete became the first person to swim around the island of Martha’s Vineyard on Monday, completing a 60-mile (97-kilometer) trek over multiple days to raise awareness about the plight of sharks as the film “Jaws” nears its 50th birthday.

Lewis Pugh, 55, began swimming multiple hours a day in the 47-degree (8 degrees Celsius) water on May 15. He wants to change public perceptions and encourage protections for the at-risk animals — which he said the film maligned as “villains, as cold-blooded killers.”

“We’ve been fighting sharks for 50 years,” he said after completing the last 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) of the swim before exiting the ocean at the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, near where “Jaws” was filmed. “Now, we need to make peace with them.”

In total, Pugh swam for about 24 hours over 12 days. His first stop in Edgartown after greeting cheering fans on the beach was at an ice cream shop, where he enjoyed a cone of salted caramel and berry brownie.