Ocean champion lands in Santa Cruz during her canoe trip from Seattle to San Diego
Margo Pellegrino is no ordinary ocean advocate. She recycles, she makes conscious consumer decisions, she teaches her kids about the environment. But, two months a year, she also hops in her outrigger canoe and sets off to sea—solo—to take long voyages along the American coastline.
The 43-year-old mother of two began her current journey, The Pacific Coast Paddle, in Seattle on July 3. She reached the California border in early August, and landed at the Santa Cruz Harbor this afternoon (Tuesday, Aug. 24). Aside from being an incredible feat of strength and will power, Pellegrino’s marathon paddles are meant to draw attention to threats facing the oceans. The main issues she hopes to raise awareness about are over-fishing, pollution, plastic debris, and acidification.
Tomorrow, Aug. 25, she’ll set off to paddle her way to Monterey. You can track her progress, and read about her experience (which has been as trying as it has been rewarding) on her blog, seattle2sandiego.com. The paddle is part of the Blue Frontier Campaign, and is sponsored by Ocean Champions.. Local support came from Santa Cruz Surfrider, The Clean Oceans Project, Save Our Shores, and more.
