"In a prologue to Climate Week NYC, two Queens lawmakers joined the Swim Strong Foundation and the Water Safety Coalition at Beach 44th Street in Far Rockaway on Friday, Sept. 15, as they supported Guinness World Record holder Merle Liivand as she swam 330 meters with a monofin to bring attention to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals," the qns.com says.

"I just read this morning that 33% of New York might be underwater by 2030, that’s 330 weeks away,” Liivand said. “Knowledge of water and strong swimming skills in the face of natural disasters — floods, wildfires and hurricanes — may help ensure survival. Governmental agreements and policies are not enough to reach the U.N.’s 2030 goals to make the planet healthier and more sustainable for future generations.”

"The farthest swim with a monofin is 50 kilometres (31.13 miles) and was achieved by Merle Liivand (Estonia) in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, USA, on 15 April 2023," the Guinness World Records says.

"Liivand performed what is known as a "mermaid swim", which precludes the use of the arms and so relies solely on undulating the core and lower body and propulsion with the monofin/tail. She was in the water for 14 hours 15 minutes.

"An Estonian National Team swimmer (specializing in breaststroke), Liivand is also a major advocate against marine pollution and uses her long-distance open-water swims as a means to draw attention to this growing environmental issue."

"When Merle Liivand first started swimming with a monofin to help with her breaststroke practice, she never could have imagined it would one day lead her to becoming a Guinness World record holder – and an eco-friendly ‘mermaid.’

"The monofin the 32-year-old frequently wears binds her feet together to form one fin and is shaped in such a way that, if seen in the fog, it might just convince an old sea captain that mermaids were real," the CNN reports.

"In April, the Estonian native set a new world record for the furthest swim while wearing a monofin – swimming 31.3 miles around Biscayne Bay, Miami, in 14 hours and 15 minutes."

"In the Little Mermaid, Ariel sings a whole song about wishing to be part of a world where people get to walk. Merle Liivand, on the other hand, wanted to do the opposite – and now holds the world record for the farthest swim as a mermaid. Liivand swam 26.22 miles wearing a silicone monofin, in just over 11 hours in choppy waters off the coast of Miami on 7 May," The Guardian reports.

"Billing herself as an “eco mermaid”, Liivand set out to use her accomplishment – the fourth time she has set a new record for monofin swimming – to raise awareness about the importance of clean oceans, according to Guinness World Records.

"It’s unfair that we have gotten to the point that fish, dolphins and turtles are surrounded by plastic which ends up in their stomachs,” Liivand said. “I feel that we as humans are next.”

"Estonian swimmer Merle Liivand has set a new world record for the furthest swim using a monofin after completing a 42.2 km (26.22 mile) swim in Miami Beach, Florida. The distance is equivalent to the classic length of a running marathon," the SwimSwam.com  reports.

"The swim took Liivand about 11 hours and 54 minutes using a “mermaid swimming” technique, where she could not use her arms and relied only on dolphin kicking with the monofin to move herself through the ocean water. Merle Liivand Completes 26.22 Mile Mermaid Swim (via Merle Liivand)

"During her swim, Liivand was accompanied by a team of kayakers, who fed her small meals throughout the day. She swam alongside many ocean creatures during her journey, including manatees and dolphins, as noted on her Instagram account. However, she was stung by a jellyfish in the leg, causing severe pain and swelling in the area."

"Merle Liivand set her fifth Guinness World Record by swimming 30 miles across Biscayne Bay in Miami in 14 hours and 15 minutes," the CBC reports.

"Her mono-fin inspired people to call her 'Mermaid Merle,' and she accomplished her newest feat all while collecting approximately 20 pounds of trash from the water."

"Merle Liivand broke her own world record by completing a 42 km Mermaid Marathon Swim in 11 hours 54 minutes on May 7th in the choppy waters of Miami Beach, Florida," the World Open Water Swimming Association says.



"It was Liivand’s fourth consecutive world record-setting swim after her initial 10 km Mermaid Swim in Southern California in 2 hours 54 minutes in 2019, her 20.6 km Mermaid Swim in South Point Park Pier in Miami in 6 hours 8 minutes in 2020, and her 30 km Mermaid Swim in Miami in 9 hours 19 minute in 2021."

"Estonian swimmer Merle Liivand has become known as ‘The Mermaid’ for cleaning up the oceans when swimming at sea – collecting rubbish whilst covering world record distances wearing a monofin," the BBC reports.

"But Liivand will have a new title to add to her nickname after being honoured by the Estonian government for her environmental campaigning on the same day the world celebrates ‘Digital Cleanup Day’.

"Liivand tells Sportshour’s Caroline Barker all about it; from getting honoured to the importance of ‘Digital Cleanup Day’ and how making small changes in our digital lives can make an impact."

"A swimmer known as "Mermaid Merle" took a record-breaking 30-mile swim in Florida while wearing a monofin. Merle Liivand, who earned the nicknames "Mermaid Merle" and "Eco Mermaid" for her swims to promote ocean conservation, swam 30 miles in Miami's Biscayne Bay while wearing a monofin, a swimming fin resembling a mermaid's tail," the UPI reports.

"Liivand said she collected about 20 pounds of trash from the bay during her 14-hour, 15-minute swim. A total 35 pounds of trash were collected by Liivand and her support team.

"The swimmer broke the Guinness World Record for farthest swim with a monofin, which she previously set at 26.22 miles in 2022."

"Swimmer Merle Liivand has set a new record for the farthest swim while wearing a monofin. Now, she hopes her accomplishment can shine a light on a more pressing issue: ocean plastic pollution," the People magazine reports.

"Liivand, originally of Estonia, completed the historic 26.22-mile swim off the coast of Miami Beach in just 11 hours and 54 minutes on May 7, according to the Guinness World Records.

"Swimming with the monofin without using my arms is similar to how dolphins and marine animals swim," the professional swimmer told the record-keeping organization. "They have a fin and can't use any arms."

"The City of Miami Beach declared April 17 Merle Liivand Day, celebrating the renowned open-water swimmer’s world record swim there. Liivand broke her world record that day by swimming 30 kilometers in a monofin off Miami Beach. The feat took nine hours and 19 minutes," the Swimming World Magazine reports.

"Liivand had previously set Guinness World Records for the 10-kilometer mermaid monofin swim (two hours, 54 minutes off Redondo Beach, Calif., in 2019) and 20-kilometer swim (six hours, eight minutes off South Point Park Pier in 2020). The latest swim marked the Estonia “aquapreneur” and athlete’s 30th birthday.

"Merle Liivand has won national championships in the pool and open water. She has competed internationally in ice swimming and triathlon. Liivand, who is also a model, is the CEO of swimming apparel company Swimera and an international ambassador and advocate for ocean cleanup."

"Merle Liivand decided to spend her 30th birthday embarking on a 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) swim off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida. What made the swim unique, however, is the fact Liivand did not use her arms at all to propel her forward—instead, she swam only using only her legs and feet, which were bound in a mermaid-like tail fin called a monofin," the Newsweek magazine reports.

"With the arduous 9-hour, 19-minute journey, Liivand set a new Guinness World Record for farthest swim using a monofin.

""I was really active kid when I was growing up in Estonia. But swimming was never [on] my radar," explained Liivand to Newsweek. As a child, however, she and her brother both faced health issues that ultimately prompted her to hit the water."

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