Photo credit: Viator (Youtube)
The Martha’s Vineyard Polar Bears are celebrating an extraordinary milestone: 80 years of community, wellness and connection through water.
The longtime group of Black women gathers at Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, where members participate in ocean swimming and water aerobics. Their tradition has become an important part of Black life and culture on Martha’s Vineyard.
Caroline Hunter, who has been a Polar Bear for 38 years and has led the group for 15 years, reflected on what the milestone means to the community.
Martha’s Vineyard Polar Bears Honor Their History
The history behind the Martha’s Vineyard Polar Bears goes beyond exercise.
Black swimming and water activities developed during a time when segregation prevented many Black families from enjoying beaches, pools and other recreational spaces safely.
For the Polar Bears, their decades-long tradition represents the opportunity for Black women to experience the ocean together while creating lasting friendships and community.
The group marked its 80th anniversary with several celebrations throughout the summer.
One of the events was a World of Hyatt gathering focused on the history of wellness on Martha’s Vineyard and the role the Polar Bears have played in that tradition.
Caroline Hunter Receives a Special Tribute
The anniversary celebrations also included a surprise honoring Hunter for her years of dedication to the group.
Several Polar Bears worked with the Town of Oak Bluffs Parks Department to create a Tribute Garden in Hunter’s honor at Waban Park.
The garden is located near the corner of Tuckernuck Avenue and Beach Road.
The group also received another permanent tribute with an 80th Tribute Rock at the entrance to Inkwell Beach near Pennacook Avenue and Beach Road.
The tributes recognize the community and the people who have helped preserve the Polar Bears’ tradition across generations.
What Are the Polar Bears’ Water Sessions Like?
Despite the name, the Martha’s Vineyard Polar Bears are not simply participating in a traditional polar plunge.
Hunter explained that their sessions can include deep-ocean swimming and water aerobics lasting at least an hour.
The sessions can last even longer when large numbers of swimmers join.
The group meets daily between the Fourth of July and Labor Day, weather permitting. They continue their activities through rain but do not enter the water during thunder or lightning.
The tradition gives members a way to combine physical activity with social connection and time outdoors.
The Ocean Is Their Gym
For many Polar Bears, the experience is about much more than fitness.
The group provides a space where Black women can connect, stay active and enjoy the water together.
Hunter described the Polar Bears as her community, health program and recreation.
That combination of wellness and belonging has helped the tradition endure for eight decades.
The 80th anniversary also highlights the importance of creating spaces where Black women can experience joy, friendship and freedom in the water.
From regular summer sessions to the new tributes honoring the group, the Polar Bears continue to make their mark on Martha’s Vineyard.
Their eight-decade tradition shows how a simple commitment to swimming and wellness can grow into a lasting community legacy.
Source: Essence.
About the Author
