UK’s ‘Human Swan’ To Return To Kent After Crossing Channel

Sacha Dench, Britain's own human swan, returns to the U.K. in style after her epic crossing of the Channel via a paramotor.

On her paramotor, Sacha Dench embarked on what is probably the longest female paramotorist journey ever, flying about 7,000 km in three months, as she follows the route of migratory swans. Kent Online noted that she is set to fly over the White Cliffs of Dover before she lands at the Channel Gliding Club in Whitfield at 11 a.m. on the Dec. 5. She is then going to continue her flight across several towns from Kent to London. So anyone who has their eyes peeled could spot her over in Canterbury, Swale, the Medway Towns and Gravesend.

According to The Guardian, 41-year-old Sacha Dench travels at only 35 mph and even flies in a v-formation with geese over Russia. However, her travels are not limited there. She also debated with hunters in Poland, and at a point even dislocated her knee, forcing her support teams to fit wheels to her craft.

Among her favorite memories throughout her journey, Sacha Dench said that she appreciated crossing Russia's Taiga forest, which is free of human habitation. She also saw the vastness of the tundra, which she said is among the most beautiful she has ever seen in a landscape. "They look like they could be from Mars," she shared.

Despite these seemingly great moments, there are also low points: among which included the disappearance of a tagged swan she was following -- realizing that it had already perished in the foul weather in Estonia. She explained that she has gotten quite attached to them as individuals.

After her long travel on her paramotor, Sacha Dench will continue her journey up the Thames to Downing street to present a WWT petition that calls on government action to restore wetlands and protect the swans by ensuring safe position of wind turbines, power cables and fighting illegal hunting.