All the same every year > 2,000 people attempt the 12 mile swim to see a cute Quokka on Rottnest Island.
* https://rottnestchannelswim.com.au/
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottnest_Channel_Swim
The 36th annual Rottnest Channel Swim will be held on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
Mind you, that's largely Australians who grow up swimming more than many US Navy SEALs do.Come on down, the waters fine, the sharks rarely nip.
I'm suprised to see a HN comment along the lines of "most people don't ...", after all, most people don't program computers, start million and billion dollar companies, build out datacentres, fly planes, ... etc. The site is littered with people confidently doing things most people do not.
I am way, waaaay more afraid of box jellyfish than I am about sharks in Australia's waters, though I'm sure that's an equally rare occurrence?
Worth noting that the water in San Francisco can be up to ~20 degrees colder than the water off the coast of Australia. Which adds to the difficulty some.