As he nears the end, a wave of public support has built behind him. Ridler’s epic endurance effort has united the nation on the importance of a healthy ocean, with more than 60,000 signatures on the Swim4TheOcean call to end bottom trawling.

Having swum past Pencarrow Lighthouse and into the outer entrance of Wellington Harbour, Ridler finished his most recent swim leg just south of Barrett Reef around 7pm on Thursday.

He’ll head back into the water from there today, crossing between Pencarrow and Palmer Head with the aim of reaching the Scorching Bay area.

The final leg of this unprecedented feat will begin near Scorching Bay, with Ridler tracking along Wellington’s inner harbour past Oriental Bay and into Whairepo Lagoon for the last few strokes of a 1,367km ocean swim.

Ridler will swim into the central Wellington lagoon at noon tomorrow, Saturday 4 April, completing the unprecedented journey that began at Waikuku Beach, North Cape, on 5 January.

Supporters can track his final push live at swim4theocean.org and witness the moment he arrives on the waterfront.

At the conclusion of his final swim, Ridler will walk to Parliament, where he will be met by the Hon Tama Potaka, Minister of Conservation, in a symbolic moment marking the delivery of his message to decision-makers.

That message will arrive with him, carried the length of the country and backed by a growing number of New Zealanders. More than 60,000 people have signed the call for change.

New Zealanders can track Swim4TheOcean live and add their name to the call to end bottom trawling at swim4theocean.org