Thousands in Birch Bay attempt to make history in world’s largest polar bear dip

It’s 11 a.m. on the first morning of 2026 in Birch Bay, Washington. There’s a sharp chill in the air.

Driving down Birch Bay Drive, sporadic groups of people wrapped in towels, robes and sweatshirt are all heading toward the bay.

They are all there for the same purpose — to make history.

In February 2025, the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce announced it would hold a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest polar bear dip.

“Having the Guinness World Records brand associated with this event brings global recognition and credibility, emphasizing the significance of the attempt and the achievement itself. The organization is synonymous with extraordinary accomplishments, and its endorsement highlights the importance of this moment for Birch Bay, attracting attention from across the world,” a February 2025 Chamber of Commerce press release states.

As of December 2025, the world record for largest polar bear dip — 3,134 people — was held by Norway, according to the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce.

By 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the beach was full of people in swimsuits, most shivering but filled with anticipation. The participants ranged in age from toddlers to seniors, brought together by a variety of motivations.

“I wanted to help put Birch Bay on the map and help with this Guinness World attempt,” participant Amanda Sova told The Herald. “It’s a great way to bring in the new year.”

Others said they were there to honor tradition and community.

“We do it every year, and would not miss this year for anything,” participant Karen Occhiogrosso said.

“Community is important. We have to do things, and we get to do things, as a community together,” Guy Occhiogrosso added. “What’s a better way to start off the new year than all together, really cold?”

To meet Guinness World Record guidelines, participants were required to enter the water together as a group, go in waist-deep, and stay for a full 60 seconds.

The official attempt was supposed to take place at noon. But when the time came, no one seemed to be getting in the water.

That’s when an announcement boomed over the crowd at the beach. All participants would need to leave the beach and ensure they crossed over the main entrance to be counted in the official attempt.

All participants were given number bibs at check-in. Out of the 6,213 registered participants, 4,917 were officially counted for participating on the day of the event, according to Pacific Multisports.

By 12:30 p.m. a siren wailed from the water, signally to all it was now time for the attempt.

Shouts of excitement quickly turned to cries of agony as participants hit the icy waters. One participant said the chilly waters felt like “1,000 icicles.”

Another siren blared just one minute later, signally the end of the attempt. Everyone got out of the water as fast as they could.

“[I felt] like Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic.” He said it was like 1,000 knives stabbing you all over your body,” said participant Leslie Smith.

“But I’m glad we did it,” Eric Smith added.

The final participant count was still be certified Thursday after the attempt. Although the number of registered participants outnumbered previous world records, challenges with the official count meant it was not immediately clear if the attempt would break the world record.

“I was supposed to have the [starting] number [of participants] before we started, but people entered the village without being counted officially over the scanner,” Guinness World Record Adjudicator Brittany Dunn told The Herald.

“Eventually we’ll have a number, but it won’t be totally accurate for the number of bibs that were given out because not everyone got successfully scanned.”