Destination 3 Degrees on Away.com!

We are honored to be working with Away.com to produce a series of distaches from our trip – here is the introductory one….

In April, a unique adventure is launching from the Big Island of Hawaii with Kauai as its endpoint. Taking to the storied waters that connect the islands, stand-up paddlers Morgan Hoesterey and Jenny Kalmbach are headed for a destination that stretches across three degrees of latitude—over 200 nautical miles—and, as recent reports tell us, a whole lot of plastic debris.

Hoesterey and Kalmbach will paddle from one island to the next, exploring above and below the waterline to help illuminate the impact of plastics contamination on some of the world’s most celebrated shorelines and the creatures these coasts shelter.

Bound only by the elements, the women will have unprecedented access to parts of the islands most people never get to see. They’ll cross channels more than 80 miles long and 10,000 feet deep, sometimes under the light of the moon, and always with the cooperation of the winds. For their efforts we’ll all be rewarded with some of the most breathtaking natural beauty our oceans have to offer.

But it’s not all about the paddle. Surfing, diving, and hiking their way around the islands, hoping to recapture the spirit of discovery in this global community, the women will use their project, Destination 3 Degrees, to raise awareness and funds for the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Algalita is a leading research organization working to identify and understand the impact of plastics contamination in not only our oceans, but on marine life and the human food chain as well.

As Capt. Charles Moore of Algalita explains, “The oceans are downhill from everywhere,” and sadly the majority of the plastic washing up on Hawaii’s beaches comes from everywhere but there on the strong currents that circle the planet.

The ocean is the inspiration and the goal of this journey, and all along the way, Hoesterey and Kalmbach will be posting photos, stories, and videos so everyone can experience the adventure in real time.

Destination 3 Degrees is sponsored in part by Horny Toad, an outdoor lifestyle apparel company that believes in “doing the right thing” and taking fun seriously.

Jennifer Holcomb is an adventure writer and paddler who will be accompanying the Destination 3 Degrees team on their standup paddle adventure across Hawaii’s legendary channels. The team will be making the journey to benefit Algalita Marine Research Foundation, helping to protect the oceans from plastics contamination.