Amazon Swim (Martin Strel)
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DURING FEB 1 - APR 08, 2007 MARTIN STREL SWAM 5,268 KMS (3274 MILES) OF THE AMAZON RIVER! HE DEDICATED THE SWIM TO THE PROTECTION OF THE RAINFOREST.
Sun, March 4 2007

Gigantic Crocodile

Martin was swimming late in the afternoon when he noticed a foul smell. The rotting carcass of a huge crocodile was floating nearby, with three vultures hitch hiking a ride.

We judged it at about fifteen feet long, although it had been dead for awhile and the head and tail had both been ripped off, possibly by poachers. We didn’t stick around long, as the rancid odor was making us all feel ill.

Martin had his best day of swimming since entering Brazil. After a strong morning, he declared to us all at lunch, “I will swim 100 km today.” Sporadic afternoon showers kept him sheltered from the sun, enabling him to do more freestyle swimming. He kept up the fast pace until a few minutes after sunset, finishing the day at 101 km. The current is slower here than it was in Peru, and we were afraid those days of over 100 km were behind us, but Martin proved us wrong. Martin swam 91 km yesterday, ending the day at Fante Boa.

>>Matthew Mohlke, photo: Corrado Filipponi