GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Attempt: Largest Polar Bear Dip

Help us make history on January 1st, 2026! Join thousands in Birch Bay, WA as we attempt the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Largest Polar Bear Dip at our annual Polar Bear Plunge Event! 

⏰ Event Timeline

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Registration & Fun 

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Final Prep 

12:00 PM Sharp: The Title Attempt 

12:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Celebration 

✅ Pre registration is encouraged and can be found on our website along with more information and a list of frequently asked questions. Those who register early and participate successfully will be entered to win prizes following the event. 

📏 A couple of important GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS™ guidelines that differ from what you may be used to at this event: 🐻‍❄️Every participant must go waist deep in the water & stay in for 1 minute (we’ll have markers + a siren to keep time). 🐻‍❄️No wetsuits, no costumes — just bathing suits! 🏆 The record to beat: 2,461 people (Czech Republic, March 2025).

Starts: January 01, 2026

Time: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Plunge at NOON!

Admission: Free!

7930 Birch Bay Dr., Birch Bay, WA 98230

View Website

Produced By: Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce

Contact Person: Sacha Sanguinetti

Phone: 360-371-5004

Email: sacha@birchbaychamber.com

        We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.
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