Hull Man Swims 300km Across Caspian Sea
October 19, 2024
Karl Bushby, a man from Hull, has successfully completed a 300km swim across the Caspian Sea. This former paratrooper is on a mission to travel around the world without using any motorized transport.
Starting his journey in 1998 from the southern tip of Chile, Bushby has covered more than two-thirds of his 58,000km expedition, known as the Goliath Expedition. Although he never imagined swimming across an open sea, circumstances led him to this incredible feat.
After walking across the American and Asian continents, Bushby found himself "trapped" on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Current tensions with the West prevented him from entering Russia or Iran, leaving him with only one option: to swim across the world's largest inland body of water.
Despite having limited swimming experience, Bushby had previously crossed the Bering Strait in 2006, navigating between ice floes while wearing an immersion suit and armed to fend off polar bears. His first attempt to cross the Caspian in 2023 failed due to lack of support from safety officials. However, with assistance from the Azerbaijani government, he completed the swim in 31 days, accompanied by coastguard members and two swimmers from the national team.
"Mixed Feelings"
Now, Bushby, originally from the Sutton Park area of Hull, is on the verge of returning to Europe and hopes to finish his journey in his hometown within the next year. He admitted to having "mixed feelings" about returning home, having adopted a new "life on the road".
"I can't even begin to express what it's been like—the world I've seen and the people I've met," Bushby shared.