The Long Way Home: A Community United for Ocean Safety and Hope

Seakeepers Asia is proud to partner with The Long Way Home Project, an inspiring community engagement initiative that transforms one man’s life-changing experience into a movement for ocean safety, fundraising, and global community participation. The partnership reflects Seakeepers Asia’s commitment to advancing ocean safety, marine stewardship, and community engagement through meaningful collaborations.

Conceived by Nico Ortiz, the project was inspired by a 2022 incident off Kusu Island, Singapore, where he attempted to rescue two swimmers caught in strong currents. One swimmer survived, while the other lost his life. The experience inspired Nico to return to those waters not only to honour the swimmer who lost his life, but also to promote greater awareness of ocean safety and the risks posed by strong currents.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nico Ortiz for successfully completing his solo circumnavigation swim around Singapore’s Southern Islands on 14 June, officially launching The Long Way Home campaign. More than an extraordinary endurance feat, Nico’s swim marks the beginning of a global relay movement that invites swimmers, clubs, and communities around the world to collectively contribute towards a 5,000-kilometre challenge, demonstrating how individual actions can create meaningful global impact.

Beyond the swim, the campaign raises funds for the Hope and Joy Foundation to support orphaned and vulnerable children in India. By combining endurance sport with community participation, The Long Way Home turns every kilometre into meaningful impact. The campaign continues to welcome swimmers, supporters, and donors to help achieve its fundraising and participation goals.

As Seakeepers Asia’s contribution to the mission, Discovery Yacht GYPSEA served as the official support and safety vessel throughout the swim, demonstrating how the yachting community can contribute to ocean stewardship and public safety initiatives. Open-water swimming demands respect for the ocean. Strong currents, changing tides, busy vessel traffic—particularly in Singapore’s waters—and rapidly changing weather conditions can present significant risks, even for experienced swimmers. Having a dedicated support vessel, clear safety procedures, and experienced personnel on the water is essential, reinforcing the campaign’s important message of ocean awareness and responsible participation.

This successful kickoff would not have been possible without the dedication of the campaign’s volunteers and core partners. Our sincere thanks go to our Seakeepers Asia volunteers: Terence Ho, who served as Skipper and Seakeepers Lead for the day; Pavel, who served as deckhand; and Gan Shan Li, Yann Gan, and Ng Shao Wei. Your professionalism, teamwork, and commitment helped ensure the safe and successful execution of the swim.

Seakeepers Asia is honoured to stand alongside The Long Way Home Project as it grows into a global movement. Through partnerships such as this, we continue to support initiatives that promote ocean safety, inspire community participation, advance marine stewardship, and demonstrate how collective action can create lasting positive impact.
Photos Credits :
Photos take from on board DISCOVERY Yacht Gypsea by Marcus Chan Tuck Yan
All other photos by Yaroslava @slava.turovskaya