Round-the-world walker swims across Caspian Sea

Karl Bushby is attempting to cross the globe without using any form of transport

Karl Bushby Karl Bushby, wearing sunglasses and a black and red wetsuit, stands on the bank of a calm-looking Caspian Sea. A city can be seen on the far side of the water, while small white clouds float across a blue sky. — Karl Bushby is attempting to cross the globe without using any form of transport

A Hull man has completed a 186-mile (300km) swim across the Caspian Sea.

Karl Bushby is attempting to travel around the world without using any form of transport.

The former paratrooper set off from Chile in 1998 and is more than two thirds of the way into the 36,000-mile adventure.

He said he had “never imagined” swimming across an open sea when he embarked on his epic challenge.

Mr Bushby, who has walked across the American and Asian continents, found himself “trapped” on the east side of the Caspian Sea because he is unable to enter Russia or Iran at present due to tensions with the West.

The only escape route was to swim across the world’s largest inland body of water.

He said he had limited swimming experience, though he previously crossed the Bering Strait by navigating moving lumps of ice while wearing an immersion suit and armed with a gun to fight off polar bears.

Karl Bushby set off in 1998 and is more than two thirds of the way into his adventure

Karl Bushby Karl Bushby pushes a buggy containing his belongings along a snow-covered road, which passes through scrubland to either side. He is wearing a balaclava, sunglasses and a red coat. Behind him, a city can be seen in the distance. — Karl Bushby set off in 1998 and is more than two thirds of the way into his adventure

The adventurer first attempted the Caspian swim in 2023 after marching through the desert for 1,000 miles, but he failed to get support from safety officials.

After the Azerbaijani government stepped in to help, he was accompanied by members of the coastguard and two swimmers from the national team.

The swim took 31 days to complete.

‘Mixed feelings’

Mr Bushby’s journey, known as the Goliath Expedition, began at the southern tip of Chile. He walked north to the coast of Alaska before crossing to Siberia in 2006.

The adventure was meant to take 12 years but has lasted 27, which he admitted “was not on the cards”.

However, he is now on the cusp of returning to Europe and hopes to finish in Hull at some time in the next year.

Mr Bushby, originally from Sutton Park in the city, said he had “mixed feelings” about returning home because of his new “life on the road”.

“I couldn’t even begin to express what it’s been, the world I’ve seen and the people in it,” he added.

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