By Maddie Flager, Cruise Specialist | December 04, 2018 ( Comments)
On an expedition ship, there’s not a whole lot of time to pause and weigh your options - especially not in Antarctica. When the weather is good and conditions are clear, you have to jump on the opportunity to explore. Such was the case when we heard, after a perfectly lovely morning visiting Port Lockroy, Schalk’s melodious voice announcing that the still waters we happened to be in meant we were staying for a few more hours. And, that it was time for the Polar Plunge. In one hours’ time.
I had heard about the plunge on day one, when some brave soul asked about it in the welcome briefing. It sounded a little nuts, but I figured it would be a cross-that-bridge-when-we-come-to-it kind of decision.
When we got to the bridge, four days into our adventure to Antarctica, I knew I wanted to jump. Not because it sounded particularly pleasant, but because when else would I have the opportunity to jump into the Antarctic Ocean? And also, why the heck not?
So, after a quick lunch on the top deck, I put on my bathing suit, robe, and slippers (hot tip: don’t wear your slippers, they’ll get drenched) and went downstairs to deck three, where the gangway had been turned into a diving board of sorts. My dad did not join, but he gets a pass…he’s done it before. Plus, someone had to take the video!
Along with 48 other looney tunes, I jumped into 2-degree-Celsius water after standing for what seemed like an hour - it was maybe five minutes - in 5-degree-Celsius air. The whole thing is all a bit of a blur, but as someone used to South Florida waters, I can say with confidence it was the coldest water I’ve ever felt, let alone plunged into all at once. My bones were shivering from the moment I landed underwater to the moment (about 10 minutes later) I scurried into the hot tub. As for my adrenaline, that was pumping for a good hour after the plunge. The experience was absolutely incredible, and one I would (maybe) do again, should I ever make my way back to Antarctica.
Now, if you’re thinking I’m nuts, take note that two of those 48 jumped in more than once. One man jumped in three times in a row. The second, FOUR times in a row, once for each decade she’s been alive. The great white continent makes you do crazy things!
Maddie Flager is an editor at Delish.com, a UNC Tar Heel alum, and an avid traveler. She visited Antarctica - her sixth continent to date - with her dad, Mark, this November.
