So you want to jump into freezing cold water in Antarctica? You can’t travel all the way down to Antarctica and not jump into the water. Most of the cruises heading to Antarctica offer passengers the option of taking the Polar Plunge. We didn’t really know when the Polar Plunge would take place during the trip, but we all had heard about it. We had seen videos online and read about people jumping into the water. On Day 6 of the trip, the expedition leader made the announcement during lunch time that we would be doing the polar plunge later in the afternoon. We all were excited but at the same time nervous about jumping into the frigid water.
WATER TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW FREEZING
Our group of friends decided to have some adult beverages before the polar plunge to warm ourselves up (and not to overthink what we were about to do). We met in a friend’s cabin and passed around a bottle of vodka. Then the announcement was made through out the ship to line up in the mud room. Over half of the ship participated (109 passengers out of 199) which the crew said was very high. Everyone was ready to go dressed in their bathing suits and used their white bathrobe to stay warm as they waited. They told us the water was officially -1.5 degrees Celsius which is about 29 degrees Fahrenheit. The vibe was really cool. The adrenaline was high and they had music to pump up everyone.
GORGEOUS AFTERNOON FOR A POLAR PLUNGE
Even though the air temperature was about zero degrees Celsius, it was a gorgeous afternoon and the sun was out with no clouds in the sky. The deep blue water glistened in the sun. The ship was anchored in a bay surrounded by snow covered mountains. They called us in groups of five people a time and we walked down to a lower level which was the same area where we boarded the Zodiacs for our excursions. The ship’s doctor was present in case anything would happen to us as we jumped in the water. Yes they had a defibrillator on hand just in case!
JUMPING INTO THE FREEZING WATER
It was my turn. I took off my bathrobe and I stood in my bathing suit. No wet suit or anything else to keep me warm. They strapped on a flotation device around my waist in case I passed out and they could quickly pull me in. The expedition crew was all around helping us out. I had seen my friends jump in right before me and I was next. The only thing I was thinking about was how cold the water will be. And that I can’t turn around now! I walked down the stairs to the platform just above the water alongside the ship. Here I go. I took a deep breath and I jumped in.
YEP, THAT WAS COLD!
My body instantly reacted. My breath shortened. I could feel the cold water immediately on my legs and then the feeling of freezing cold consumed my entire body. I turned around in the water and quickly located the ladder to pull myself back on to the ship. Yep, that was cold. But as I got out of the water, the air temperature was warmer than the water so it didn’t feel as bad when I got out. I walked up the stairs and put my robe back on. That wasn’t bad at all. It was cold, but I would do it again. They gave us a shot of vodka to warm our bodies back up and then we all went to the pool since they heated the water up to make it feel like a hot tub. The entire experience was a lot of fun. And it was almost like a right of passage for the trip: jumping into the Antarctic waters! Such a cool experience!
Take a look at the video I put together below….
