Nathan Payas completes Strait double

Gibraltar’s Nathan Payas completed a gruelling double swim of the Strait of Gibraltar today, becoming the 13th swimmer ever to complete this feat and only the third British person to do so.
He swam from Isla de Tarifa to Punta Cires on the Moroccan coastline and back again - a total distance of 37.6km - in just 9 hours, 48 minutes and 57 seconds.
Speaking on his way back to Gibraltar, Mr Payas told the Chronicle he was “utterly exhausted” and that the swim had proven harder than he had imagined.
“That made it even more special to have achieved it,” he said.

It had been, he admitted, a difficult swim with the strong currents against him a lot of the time especially on the return.
Mr Payas completed the Strait double without wearing a neoprene suit for warmth, something that only nine swimmers had done previously.
The swim was to raise funds in aid of The Calpe House Trust.
On the eve of the swim, Mr Payas was present at the annual dinner of the Gibraltar Society of Accountants, where guests chipped in and raised £2,500 pounds.
The sum was matched by the Gibraltar Government, raising a total of £5,000 just hours before Mr Payas was due to plunge into the sea.

Pics courtesy of Ariella Payas