There was nothing ordinary about 17-year-old Maya Merhige’s recent swim in New Zealand.
In March, the American teenager swam the 13.7 mile-long Cook Strait, which separates the north and south islands of New Zealand.
Because of the distance, the swim was already going to be difficult. Jellyfish made it even harder.
They’re one of Merhige’s greatest fears and stung her “constantly, like 25 times a minute — over and over“ during her swim, she recently told CNN.
“Even when I was getting in the water, I was already like: ‘I’m so scared. I don’t want to see jellyfish,’” she said. “So the entire time I was just fighting myself mentally to kind of get over that fear.”
Merhige chose to complete her swim at night. This helped her avoid sunburns, prevented her from fixating on how far she had left to swim and kept her jellyfish concerns at bay.
“If I can’t see them, I really just tell myself: out of sight, out of mind,” she said. “They’re not there if you can’t see them, so I just pretend it’s not happening, which does help me shut my mind off a little bit.”
The current ultimately made the swim 27 miles. Merighe was unable to lift her arms above her shoulders afterwards.
She completed the swim in 14 hours, eight minutes and 36 seconds, according to Swim Swam.
It was her tenth open water marathon swim, which must be at least 6.2 miles in length.
Merighe is now three swims shy of completing the Oceans Seven challenge. She has the North Channel, Strait of Gibraltar and Tsugaru Strait left.
Merhige has already swam the Catalina Channel, English Channel and the Moloka’i Channel — also known as the Kaiwi Channel.
“I’m hoping to be the youngest, which means that I have to do them by January of 2028,” she told CNN. “I am hoping to finish them all. I’m really excited for the ones I have left.”
Despite the dangers that can come with her swimming adventures, Merhige said she considers the water her “safe place.”
“It’s become this great relationship,” says Merhige. “I love being in the water so much, and I’m definitely loving it more and more; I have much more respect for the ocean and for the water than I did when I started swimming. ... Even if I’m scared, I know I can get through that fear. That’s what keeps me safe, and that’s what makes me feel safe.”
Jellyfish peak season and safety tips
Peak jellyfish season varies by region and species.
According to Scuba.com, peak jellyfish season on the East Coast in the U.S. occurs between spring and early summer. The Florida Keys and North and South Carolina are typically the first areas to reach peak.
To avoid jellyfish stings, the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America recommends wearing wetsuits and footwear that covers and protects your skin.
That approach was not possible for Merhige, who, in order to comply with the Marathon Swimmers Federation’s rules for solo, unassisted swims, could not use a wetsuit.
The center also suggests researching the jellyfish that can be found in the area of your beach.
If stung by a jellyfish, follow the following steps from Kids Health:
- Leave the water.
- Rinse the burn with vinegar, not fresh water. The water can make the pain worse.
- Avoid rubbing the burn.
- Remove any lingering tentacles with tweezers to protect yourself.
- Take a hot shower or soak to help relieve pain.