Swim for Scholars and Defend Pacific Marine Monuments

Aloha, I'm David, the founder and Director of the shark and marine protection non-profit Shark Stewards. We are a project of the Earth Island Institute working in education, science, and policy since 2006. I'm also an open water swimmer and each year we do a swim for sharks in a new location.

This year, we are raising money to support a scholarship fund for a deserving undergraduate at the University of Hilo. We have a match from a donor for up to $5000 to establish what will become an annual scholarship for young Pacific Islanders working in marine science, health or communications.

Our student will be working with local communities and on media communications on marine protection in Hawaii, and our campaign to maintain the Pacific Marine National Monuments, continuing over 20 years of protecting US reefs and islands in Marine National Monuments Areas and from commercial fishing.

Learn More About the Trump Administration's Executive Order putting our nation's most pristine and protected coral reefs at risk.

My goal is to swim along the Kona coast on August 16 to build support and maintain legal protection of Pacific reefs and wildlife. I will continue swimming and sharing on Instgram, with another longer swim this Sharktober.

This also also supports and builds a youth movement to vote in the midterm elections in 2026 through the production of ocean stories on sharks, marine protected areas, ocean impacts, and solutions.

Sign the Petition to Congress to Stop the Administration from Opening America's healthiest coral reefs to commercial fishing, protecting endangered sharks, marine mammals and seabirds.

Follow the Adventure on Instagram!

In August I did a marathon ocean swim in our local shark Bruno's backyard and will be on the lookout for our local sharks while Im training on my offshore swims. Now we are back in the Bay Area, planning a swim this Sharktober. Follow us on instagram!

Please follow this fun adventure on our new Stop the Ocean Steal on Instagram and on ourYouTube channel and support the swim through your tax-deductible donation if you are able.

Thanks for your support!