Overview

• Pugh, 55, finished the 62-mile circumnavigation on May 26 after 12 days, hauling out at Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse as the first person to swim entirely around the island.
• The endurance swim was staged to counter the negative portrayal of sharks since the 1975 release of Jaws and to highlight their at-risk status on the film’s 50th anniversary.
• He endured 47°F water, a nor’easter that dumped seven inches of rain and coincided with the start of shark migration season, backed by safety crews using a Shark Shield to deter predators without harm.
• The campaign underscored that about 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day—nearly 100 million a year—and recalled regrets from Spielberg and Benchley about the movie’s impact on shark populations.
• Following the swim, Pugh will engage in media interviews and convene with policymakers to advance protections for sharks and broader ocean conservation goals.