North Saanich ‘mermaid’ prepares for sixth inlet swim
Renate Herberger swims from Brentwood Bay to Deep Cove to raise awareness for marine conservation
Renate Herberger is no stranger to the chilly water of the Saanich Inlet.
The distance swimmer and co-director of the Saanich Inlet Protection Society (SIPS) has swum the 16.5-kilometre distance four times since 2011 to raise awareness for marine conservation and honor the memory of her late son, Silvan Skye Valeska Herberger, who died at 23 years old shortly after her first Inlet swim.
And now, heading into swim No. 5, Herberger says the need to raise awareness of rapidly deteriorating ocean environments is as pertinent as ever.
“It’s in part, raising awareness for people to know that whatever you bring, wherever you go, especially to a beach – make sure you take it with you,” Herberger said. “There isn’t a fairy godmother who comes after you.”
This year’s swim raises funds to support the SIPS beach-clean-up program, which has in the last year alone completed nine shore clean-ups around the Saanich Peninsula, “removing over 1,700 kilograms of plastics, metals, bottles, cans, boat parts, domestic refuse and garden waste.”
“It’s amazing to think that in 2019 we still have to raise awareness,” Herberger said. “Now of course, we know so much more about microplastics. More and more information is coming out. [The swim] is just to teach people to live more lightly, use less packaging. Bring your sandwiches in a jar and take it home.”
Herberger, who has swum over 8,200 kilometres in her lifetime, and has swam in the inlet since she moved to North Saanich in 1986, says she is still a “chicken when it comes to cold water.”
In fact, Herberger’s latest swims were in Mexico.
“I much prefer warm water swims, so this one is for me, the most difficult of all the swims I do,” she said. “I’m not good with cold water and I need a pretty serious wet suit. It’s much more demanding.”
Herberger will swim the length of the Inlet – starting at Brentwood Bay in Central Saanich and finishing at Deep Cove in North Saanich. She is still looking for support and escort boat volunteers. The swim requires escorts in kayaks, row boats and other non-motorized vessels for all or a portion of the route.
The swim departs Pacifica’s dock in the Portside Marina to the right of the ferry dock at the foot of Verdier Avenue on Aug. 5 at 9 a.m.
For more information about volunteering as a support or escort boat, email renatemermaid@gmail.com.
Deep Cove Mermaid raises eco-issues swimming Mexico, backed by Mexican Navy
Renate Herberger plans to swim Mexico region by region
The Deep Cove mermaid resurfaces after her latest swims in Mexico, supported by the Mexican Navy.
Renate Herberger, also known as the Costa Rican mermaid due to her environmentalism in that country, has just returned from a stint in Mexico.
Since 2008, the North Saanich resident has covered 8,242 kilometers in the water to promote green issues and has secured an unlikely ally – The Search and Rescue arm of the Mexican military.
Herberger says that after getting an approving nod from a Mexican admiral she now is supported by a patrol boat and crew for three or four days at a time as she completes her swims. She has to follow the military’s schedule, so her days last from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
She has swum in a number of places, such as Cozumel, Isla Cerralvo (Jaques Cousteau island), Baja California, Isla de Mujeres, Cancun and Puerto Morelos.
Asked if she was worried about sharks, Herberger laughed. “Sharks are the least of my worries. Jellyfish are dangerous. In the past I’ve had numerous interactions with Portuguese man o’ wars and oh my God it’s painful, it makes childbirth look like a children’s game.”
The other risks were currents and riptides, with Herberger saying two divers drowned a few days after she left the last area on her tour.
Herberger says she does the swims to raise awareness of green issues, with local newspapers, radio and television covering her story whenever she swims.
While in her host country, Herberger rides the wave of local publicity and visits local schools, where she talks to the children about the environment and encourages them to make eco-promises.
“The mermaid persona has worked really really well as the magic and mystery of the mermaid encourages them to talk about the environment.”
The Deep Cove mermaid intends to swim parts of Mexico region by region between November 2019 and March 2020, starting with a 14-day swim.
One ambition Herberger hasn’t yet achieved is speaking at a local school. She says she has spoken to thousands of students in Costa Rica and hopes to one day be invited to talk to students in a Saanich Peninsula school.`