Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada–United States border, which connect to the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes Waterway. The Great Lakes consists of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario and form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water.
The Great Lakes began to form at the end of the last glacial period around 10,000 years ago, as retreating ice sheets carved basins into the land and they became filled with meltwater. The lakes have been a major source of trade through their region, and are home to a large number of aquatic species. Many invasive species have been introduced due to trade in the area, and some threaten the region's biodiversity.
Open Water Swimming
Open water swimming is governed by various organizations throughout the Great Lakes:
- Solo Swims
- Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association (LEOWSA)
- Great Lakes Crossing Organization (G.L.C.O.)
Marathon Swimming in the Great Lakes
There have been 3 swimmers who have completed at least one marathon swim of a minimum of 10 km in all five of the Great Lakes:
- Vicki Keith, Canada
- Paula Stephanson, Canada
- Elizabeth Fry, USA
External links
- Liz Fry Swims Like Clockwork
- Loren King, A Renaissance Man In The Open Water
- Live Chat With Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Anna Cummins Of 5Gyres
- Glowing Profile Of Mauro Campanelli
- Great Lakes Open Water Adventures, Problem Solver Extraordinaire
- Great Swims In Great Lakes
- The History Behind And After Budney Beach
- Two Million Swimmers – The Courage Of Dennis And Dewey
- Two In A Million – Superior Swimming By Dennis And Dewey
- Thrice As Nice, Swimming Across Lake Ontario
- These People Don't Look LOST, But They Are
- Marathon Swimming
- Missing Man In Marathon Found In Lake Erie
- Embrace The Challenge With Everyday Heroes
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Embrace The Challenge
- Embrace The Challenge Facebook page
- Solo Swims of Ontario
- Open Water Predictions For 2014
- The Back Story Of Jamie Patrick's Great Lake Swim
- The Ubiquity Of The Great Lake Swim
- Great Plans For The Great Lake Swim
- 75 km, Annaleise Carr's Radical Crossing 2.0
- Jamie Patrick To Swim Towards The Windy CIty
- Solo, Yet Never Alone By Laura Young
- 40 Hours, 75 km, Lesley Burton Zehr To Cross Lake Huron
- Cold May Lead To Plan B At 2015 Pan American Games
- Superhuman And Not...Swim the Straits of Mackinac Returns
- Two Halves Help Raise 200,000
- Two Parts Washing Machine, One Part Ice Bucket In Lake Michigan
- Annaleise Carr, Swimming With a Purpose
- Annaleise Carr's Traverse Across Lake Erie, Part One
- Successful North-To-South Swim Goes West And In Reverse
- Trinity Arsenault To Be Honoured In Niagara-on-the-Lake
- The Swimming Grandfather Set Stage For The 21st Century
- The Great Lakes Odyssey Of Paula Stephanson
- So Great, Lakes And Liz
- American swimmer arrives in Port Franks after nearly 21 hours in Lake Huron waters
