Belle Ile
From Openwaterpedia
(Redirected from Belle-Île-en-Mer)
Belle-Île is part of the Prison Island Swims (or the Triple Break or Triple Crown of Prison Island Swims that were nominated for the 2016 WOWSA Awards, a recognition of outstanding men, women, performances and offerings around the globe sponsored by the World Open Water Swimming Association in the category of World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year
Belle-Île, Belle-Île-en-Mer, or Belle Isle is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the département of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is 14 km from the Quiberon peninsula.
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Open Water Swimming
- Belle-Île is site of one of the Triple Break swims (Triple Crown of Prison Island Swims), where swimmers challenge themselves to escape by swimming at least 3 of the world's most well-known prison island swims including Le Château d’If, Fort Boyard, Devil's Island, Île de Gorée, Robben Island, Alcatraz Island, Spike Island, Rottnest Island, and Sainte-Marguerite.
- It was the start point of a 15 km prison island swim pioneered by Jacques Tuset on 7 July 2018 from Le Palais at Belle Île to Quiberon on the French mainland, completed in 4 hours 23 minutes 39 seconds.
- It was the finish point for 17 employees from the WYZ Group who swam 14 km from Quiberon to Belle-Île on 4 September 2018 as part of the WYZ Swim Challenge in 6 hours 15 minutes.
WYZ Swim Challenge
Triple Break Sites (listed by region and country)
Africa
- Mogador Island (Morocco): 2.2 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the late 1800s
- Île de Gorée (Senegal) 5.2 km to mainland, was known as the location of the House of Slaves
- Robben Island (South Africa): 7.4 km to mainland, was the former isolated prison home of Nelson Mandella and other South Africans
- Changuu (Tanzania): 34 km to mainland and 4.5 km to Zanzibar, was used in the 1860s as a prison for rebellious slaves
- Saint Helena (UK Colony in South Atlantic Ocean): 1,800 km to mainland was used as a prison for Napoleon
Australia
- Rottnest Island (Australia): 19.7 km to mainland, was used as an Aboriginal prison between 1838 and 1931 for men and boys
- Fort Denison (Australia): 1 km to mainland, was used as a prison and for hanging in the 1800s
- Cockatoo Island (Australia): 0.5 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1839 to 1869
Central America
- Isla San Lucas (Costa Rica): 4 km to mainland, was used as a prison 1873 to 1991
- Coiba (Panama): 20 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1919 to 2004
Europe
- Alderney Island (Alderney, Channel Islands): 15 km to mainland, was a camp for Russian slave workers for the German occupational forces during WWII
- Spitbank Fort (England): 1.3 km to mainland, built in 1878 and served later as a prison
- Île du Levant (France): 12 km to mainland, was used as a children's prison
- Fort Royal de Sainte-Marguerite (France): 1 km to mainland, was used as a military prison and where the famous Man in the iron mask was held captive
- Le Château d’If (France): 5 km to mainland, was a fortress and prison for 400 best know through the novel The Count of Monte Cristo
- Fort Boyard (France): 18 km to mainland, is an oval-shaped fort and military prison
- Île de Brescou (Brescou Fort) (France): 1.5 km to mainland, was used from late 1600s for 200 year as a state prison for crimes such as treason
- Oleron Island (Île d'Oléron) (France): 3 km “organised race” to mainland, was used as a state prison between 1789-1870
- Château du Taureau (France): 0.7 km to mainland, was used in the 1720 as a small prison (10 prisoners maximum)
- Belle-Île (France): 15 km to mainland, was used from 1902 to 1977 for children
- Ile d’ Yeu (France): 20 km to mainland, was used until 1950s the 1860s as a state prison – famous for Marshal Petain
- Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France): 16 km to mainland, was used as a transfer prison for convict destines for Devil's Island
- Makronisos (Greece): 5 km to mainland, was used in the 1946-1949 as a prison political prisoners
- Fortress of Bourtzi (Greece): 0.5 km to mainland, was used from the 1865s as a prison
- Spike Island (Ireland): 2 km off the larger Island of Cobh, was the former isolated prison home of infamous Irish inmates
- Pianosa (Italy): 18 km to mainland, was used from Roman times and later for Mafia members as a prison
- Elba (Italy): 22 km to mainland, was used as Napoleon’s prison
- Grmožur (Montenegro): 1.5 km to mainland, The “Alcatraz” of Montenego from 1843
- Mamula Fortress (Montenegro): 1.2 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the 1800s
- Cabrera (Spain): 25 km to mainland, was used in the early 18060s as a prison during the Napoleonic Wars – once housing 25,000 prisoners
- Tabarca (Spain): 21 km to mainland, was used in the 1700s as a prison
- Isla de San Simón (Spain): 0.4 m to mainland, was used from 838 to 1927 as a prison and leper colony
- Långholmen (Sweden): 0.3 km to the center of Stockholm, was used as a prison for 250 years – closed in 1975
North America
- Alcatraz Island (U.S.A.): 2.3 km to mainland, was the former isolated prison home of Al Capone and other celebrated American criminals
- Santa Cruz (U.S.A.): 33 km to mainland, was use to house prisoner after Mexico's independence from France
- Fort Warren (U.S.A.): 11 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the American Civil War 1862
- Fort Jefferson (U.S.A.): 110 km to Key West Florida, was used as a prison for USA Civil War deserters and plotters to kill Abraham Lincoln
- McNeil Island (U.S.A.): 4.5 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the 1880s up to 1,200 inmates
- Johnson Island (U.S.A.): 5 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1861 with up 2,500 Conference prisoners
- Peddocks Island (U.S.A.): 0.4 km to mainland, was used as a prison during World War II for Italian prisoners
South America
- Devil's Island (French Guiana) 14 km to mainland, was a well-known location of the French penal system and a leper colony
- El Frontón (Peru): 5 km to mainland, was used as a prison until the 20th century
