Polar plunge

The polar plunge is exactly what it sounds like: a quick, harnessed or supervised dip into water that typically sits around freezing, taken off the ship's gangway or from a zodiac in a sheltered bay. Crew are in the water or right beside it, towels and robes are ready, and most people are in and out within a minute or two. It's over fast, but the shock of it tends to stick in the memory longer than most landings do.

Because it takes staff, safety gear and a calm patch of water to run properly, it's scheduled as an optional activity for a specific departure rather than something you can request on a whim. Space is limited, so operators generally ask you to sign up in advance, sometimes before the voyage even leaves port. It usually happens at the same time as that day's regular landing or zodiac cruise, so you're choosing between the plunge and the shore excursion rather than doing both — worth weighing if the landing site itself is one you don't want to miss.

As with everything in Antarctica, the final call rests on the weather, ice conditions and the expedition team's read of the site that day; a plunge pencilled into the program can be moved or dropped if conditions turn. It suits travellers who want one very physical, very literal way of saying they've been in Antarctic water, rather than those chasing wildlife time or photography on that particular excursion.