Annual Swim for the Sanctuary event continues to drive conservation efforts

THE upcoming Swim for the Sanctuary charity event will once again put the spotlight on marine conservation, with proceeds from the annual initiative supporting the work of the White River Fish Sanctuary and other community programmes supported by the Jamaica Inn Foundation. Set for November 7, 2026 at Shaw Park Beach, the swim will feature 500m, 1K, 3K, 5K, relays and paddle board events with close to 100 swimmers expected to participate, including defending 5K winner Joel Sinclair. Kyle Mais, director at the Jamaica Inn Foundation, said the event holds special significance because of its connection to the sanctuary, which plays a critical role in protecting and restoring Jamaica’s marine environment. “One of the reasons why I am especially excited about this year’s event personally — it’s always an amazing day, but it’s all for a very good cause,” Mais said. “Many of you would have heard me talk about this maybe too many times now, but the cause that is very dear and near to our hearts is the White River Fish Sanctuary.” Mais explained that the event’s fundraising structure ensures that participation directly supports the sanctuary’s conservation efforts. “All of our entry fees through swim go directly to the sanctuary. We raise other funds throughout the day, whether it’s food and beverage or apparel and logo items, those funds go straight to the Jamaica Inn Foundation that helps us to support other programmes.” Meanwhile, Jonathan Hernould, manager of the White River Fish Sanctuary, shared that the programme’s work is centred on three pillars — protect, restore and engage, which guide its efforts to safeguard marine life, rehabilitate damaged coral reefs and educate surrounding communities about the importance of conservation.

Swimmers diving into the sea at Shaw Park Beach in their distance event at the Jamaica Inn Foundation’s Swim For The Sanctuary Open Water Championships in St Ann on Saturday, November 11, 2023. The event returns on November 7, 2026.

He explained that the protection pillar focuses on the designated fish sanctuary, which encompasses a no-fishing zone stretching 3.5 kilometres, while restoration addresses the degradation of the marine environment caused by several factors, including global warming, increasingly powerful hurricanes and overfishing. “The marine environment has been degrading for years and years due to several factors, global warming, stronger hurricanes, overfishing, so we have to take an active role and try to restore the environment,” said Hernould, who added that the team is currently able to plant more than 2,000 corals annually. Hernould also underscored the importance of building awareness and encouraging community participation in protecting the marine environment and stated that the sanctuary’s nine-year journey has been underpinned by a strong partnership with the Jamaica Inn Foundation, which continues to support its conservation and outreach efforts. “We have been doing this for nine years of the fish sanctuary, and that speaks directly to the partnership between the Jamaica Inn Foundation and the sanctuary. The partnership is so strong,” Hernould added. Through Swim for the Sanctuary, organisers hope to maintain that momentum by bringing people together around a shared commitment to protecting Jamaica’s marine resources. All individual swim events will attract a $3,000 entry fee for residents with the paddleboard costing $2,500, Water Polo - $1200 and relay $3,000. International participants under teh age of 20 will pay US$55 to participate in any event and US$85 for those over 20 years old. ACADO Jamaica as well as Petrojam, Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance and Chukka Caribbean are the major sponsors of the event.