The 23rd Annual Perilous Plunge splashes its way into the Humboldt Bay

The 23rd annual Perilous Plunge took over Humboldt Bay on a beautiful Saturday morning in Eureka.

The annual fundraiser is put on by the Redwood Discovery Museum designed for children to earn in fun interactive ways.

Carrying that fun into this tradition keeps the wackiness ensuing.

The executive director of the museum, Stephanie Carter, took the plunge for herself.

“Just a little plungy plunge. It’s fun to just do something weird and crazy for such a weird and crazy thing that I do. It’s been our big fundraiser pretty much since our non-profit status was established,” Carter said.

Groups in and around Humboldt dressed in their wacky best took off from the pier.

Plungers ranged from retro retailers to gnomes to pieces of cake and even a qiuck appearance by “Taylor Swift,” a plunger in full Swiftie costume.

“We had about 73 plungers, mostly groups and we had about 30 groups this year, so that was pretty awesome,” Carter said.

Once the plungers have taken the time to dive into the water, they come back up and receive a prize.

Trophies range from Best costume, Best Group, Best Jump, and Designated Plunger.

But the real reward is how much is given back to the museum.

“We usually raise around $20,000 from the perilous plunge which is huge. It helps us keep the doors open for the remainder of the year,” Carter said

That money also goes to new exhibits, scholarships and events for the whole family to enjoy.

“We just want to raise awareness of the museum. We’re coming up on thirty years of this organization. There are still some people that don’t know about us and what we offer,” Carter said. “We want to make sure that everyone in the community, every family, knows about this resource that we offer for education for all families.”

It’s something worth taking the plunge for.