NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. – Naval Station Mayport sailors and their families took a dip Friday morning in the frigid base beach waters for a “Polar Plunge” with “Mayport Mitch,” the famed base groundhog.
The fun-filled event celebrates Groundhog Day, and Mitch’s prediction was for six more weeks of winter.
That was also his prediction last year.
The famed Punxsutawney Phil, on the other hand, predicted an early spring on Friday at the annual Groundhog Day event in Gobbler’s Knob, the scene of the largest and best-known Groundhog Day celebration in the United States.
“Glad tidings on this Groundhog Day, spring is on its way,” said Buckeye Chuck.
But at Naval Station Mayport, Mayport Mitch had a different prediction. He said there will be six more weeks of winter after deciding not to take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean.
“It looked cold to me,” Mayport Mitch told News4JAX. “I am not getting into it.”
He made that call during the Mayport Dunk, which is when dozens of brave souls took a plunge into the Atlantic Ocean for Groundhog Day.
Thomas Rios and his wife Maria did the plunge for the first time. Thomas is a logistics specialist, serving in the Navy for 11 years now.
“It was great,” Thomas said. “It was like a big community coming together and doing a little beginning of the New Year celebration. It was awesome seeing that.”
Maria said the plunge made them feel part of the community.
“Some of these people, we live here on base with. So, we see them and say, ‘Hey neighbor. You are here too.’ [It was] that kind of day. It was kind of cool,” Maria said.
Cooper Chandler took the chilling dip with his family as well.
“It was cold, he said, whose family member serves on the USS Donald Cook. “I was not expecting that. It was really fun.”
This was the second year of the event, and it was way bigger than last year. There were probably close to 100 people who came out to brave that cold water.
According to Captain Brian Biner, who is the commanding officer of Naval Station Mayport, last year saw a little more than 20 people.
Binder says the event is a way for sailors and their families to bond.
“It is a great opportunity for us as a naval station just to get together and do something outside of our normal work routine,” he said. “Just for fun as a team building environment.”
It is Naval Station Mayport’s unique spin on Groundhog Day.
We’ll see soon enough which groundhog got it right!