2026 Birch Bay Polar Bear Plunge to be Guinness World Record attempt

Birch Bay’s 43-year-old tradition of a New Year’s Day polar bear plunge is taking on a big goal for January 1, 2026: The frosty event will be an attempt to break the Guinness World Records mark for the largest polar bear dip.

The current world record was set in Mielno, Poland in 2015 when 1,799 people took a polar bear plunge into the Baltic Sea. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2), and Bellingham-Whatcom County Tourism announced in a February 27 press release they hope to break that record come New Year’s Day 2026.

“This world record attempt will be an exciting opportunity to showcase the Birch Bay community, our beautiful shoreline, and all we have to offer to a myriad of visitors, both new and returning,” said Sacha Sanguinetti, event coordinator at the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “We expect this event, and the publicity it brings, to be an economic boost for the community for years to come.”

Sanguinetti told BBBPRD2 commissioners during their February 11 meeting that in order for the attempt to be accepted, all participants must be in the water at least waist deep for 60 continuous seconds. Participants also are not allowed to wear wetsuits although bathing suits and costumes are permitted.

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce paid Guinness World Records $38,500 to officially sanction the world record attempt, Sanguinetti told BBBPRD2 commissioners.

The most recent polar bear plunge on January 1, 2025, saw an estimated 1,600 participants run headfirst into a frigid Birch Bay. The next attempt will need just over 200 more participants to break the record. Registration for the event is expected to open this summer, and participants are encouraged to register early “to secure their spot in history,” the press release stated.