Westbound Rower - The Great Pacific Challenge
On the 21st of June, 2021, Erden Eruc, a global adventurer, started his epic journey across the Pacifc Ocean, rowing from Crescent City, California to Hong Kong, in the first-ever human-powered solo Pacific crossing north of the equator. In partnership with Ocean Recovery Alliance, this rowing adventure will help to raise awareness about plastic pollution and the overall health of the ocean. It will be the first ever mainland-to-mainland crossing of the Pacific Ocean between the Americas and Asia. Click here for Press Release.
Click on this StoryMap Link to track Erden's expedition live, and to see some great information about this amazing journey - Westbound Rower!
Welcome to the WestBound Rower Educational Program
Welcome to the Westbound Rower Education Program - a great way for you to learn about the ocean, without even getting wet!! Here we will be following Erden Eruc on his journey from Crescent City, in the United States, all the way to the Malaysian Peninsula, westwards across the Pacific Ocean. We too will be embarking on a journey of our own!
Join us in this journey together, which will bring us to discuss topics related to our environment, our ocean and how we use it, plastic pollution, oceanography, and climate change. Not only that, but we will also be learning from Erden about survival at sea, currents, how to make fresh water, and what to eat on an 11-month expedition, all by yourself! There will be something for everyone in this amazing tri-lingual education program (English, Chinese and Spanish), so we hope you can spread the word to your friends and other schools.
We will be talking about different topics every week, and you might also be able to be on a live satellite phone call with Erden from his rowboat at sea, as we will try to have live classroom chats with him every two weeks or so, once the schools come back into session in late August. On his way towards Malaysia, Erden will show us all of the interesting things he finds or comes across during his journey, and will answer some of your questions. In fact, the person with the best question asked each week will win one of our cool Pick Me Up Bags, made of recycled kites from the group Kitesurfing for the Ocean in Hong Kong who we collaborate with. These visits are not scheduled as of yet, so stay tuned, and we will let you know when and how you can join Erden and also ask him questions yourself live!
Help Support Eden's adventure, to his causes, and our Ocean Recovery Alliance created education program which will follow along on his GO FUND ME SITE.
Erden's Introductory Talk with Doug and Joe Pre-Launch
We are excited to be collaborating with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants for some amazing live education broadcasts from Erden's rowboat as he crosses the Pacific, so stay tuned!
With the vast expanse of the open ocean, the maturity of Erden's experience (he has already circumnavigated the planet once by rowing and biking the continents!!!), his anticipated accomplishments and his conservation causes about plastic in the ocean, sustainability, an dthe health of the ocean, will raise great interest in the project.
During his expedition we will leverage this visibility to promote friendship and collaboration between nations, and to create scientific, educational and promotional value. The Pacific crossing will be the prelude to a bigger journey with goals beyond adventure and accomplishing historic firsts.
Listen to the RTHK Radio 3 Interview with Erden Eruc and Phil Whelan from "Morning Brew", May 14th, 2021.
Shooting It Raw - Interview with Erden Eruc by Ran Elfassy (April 2021)
Global solo rower: Philippines catches other countries' plastic waste (April 2022)
Upon his arrival in the Philippines at the end of March, 2022. Erden speaks to the Rappler about the Westbound Row, his observations related to plastic pollution as he crossed the Pacific and his contributions to the beaked whale research. Read the full article on Rappler here!
This series of educational content was inspired by the historic journey by Westbound Rower, Erden Eruç across the Pacific Ocean. Follow him on his tracking page, see his blog and other information pages on his website: https://www.erdeneruc.com
Also Instagram & Twitter : @erdeneruc
All proceeds beyond the stated fundraising goal of his GoFundMe expedition campaign, will help Ocean Recovery Alliance and his nonprofit Around-n-Over. Please see:
https://www.GoFundMe.com/westboundrower
