Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is known for its iconic endemic species—emperor, Adélie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins; crabeater and leopard seals; and thousands more. Now you can add another to the list: “ice mermaid.” 

Bárbara Hernández, a Chilean cold-water swimmer known as the “Ice Mermaid” (“Sirena de Hielo” in Spanish), is en route with the country’s navy to Antarctica, where in a few days she’ll attempt—in the name of conservation—the longest swim any person has ever taken in the Southern Ocean’s frigid waters. Her goal: to draw attention to the global call for the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean—particularly the MPA for the Antarctic Peninsula, which Chile developed in partnership with Argentina in 2018.

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