Healthy Harbor Initiative staff and partners jump into Baltimore's Inner Harbor in September 2023 during a "test swim" to show the harbor's water quality is safe for swimming. Photo courtesy of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore.
Healthy Harbor Initiative staff and partners jump into Baltimore's Inner Harbor in September 2023 during a "test swim" to show the harbor's water quality is safe for swimming. Photo courtesy of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore.

The Harbor Splash public swim event sold out within 10 minutes of the registration link going live Wednesday morning.

The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, which is organizing the event, registered the maximum 150 participants and has launched a waitlist for others who are interested. The swimming event will take place June 23.

The Healthy Harbor Initiative, overseen by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, released their annual Healthy Harbor Report Card in November 2023, which determined that the Inner Harbor’s water quality is safe to swim on most dry-weather days.

The report cautioned that storms carry runoff and pollutants into the water, so residents should still avoid contact with waterways for at least 48 hours after rain. Swimming in the harbor should also only take place during coordinated and supervised events like the “Harbor Splash” due to the safety risks that boat traffic poses.