Freezing water, a merciless sun, jellyfish and sharks - the enduring Robben Island swim challenge
Daily Maverick | 09.01.2026 06:40
The first mention of an attempted swim from Robben Island to the mainland is found in a short article in the Cape Times of 1876, neatly filed in the South African National Library. One can only assume that the hype of Matthew Webb’s English Channel success of the previous year motivated an enthusiastic Cape Town swimmer to attempt the feat. It was not successful.
