Hundreds in Isla Vista Celebrate Earth Day with ‘The Plunge’

Hundreds of Isla Vistans huddled together in excitement on a not-so-sunny Sunday morning on the bluffs at Devereux Beach. They all pledged to jump in the icy morning water as a part of “The Plunge” — a fundraising event with the Marine Conservation Network aimed at breaking the world record of 3,500 participants in an ocean plunge. 

“Take the plunge! Take the plunge!” shouted Lior Kishinevsky, an organizer of the event, as he ran down the beach with a microphone cheering on the crowd. A far-from-measly 800 people pre-registered for the event, and even more came to support — not enough to break the world record, but a blast nonetheless. 

The more important goal of the morning was to elevate awareness of marine conservation. “Eleven trillion pounds of trash enter the ocean every year,” said Kishinevsky to a resounding “boo” from the crowd.  

Plunge partner Marine Conservation Network held a booth at the event to educate on trash pollution and ocean cleanup. The group’s mission is to close the communication gap between scientists, conservationists, and the general public. The funds raised from the plunge will aid Marine Conservation Network’s Youth Ambassador Program, an initiative that offers education, mentorship, and networking opportunities to “ocean warriors” of all ages. 

“When you go to school, it teaches you how to get a degree, not how to get a job,” said Officer Charles Ray, with the Marine Conservation Network. The Santa Barbara–based organization has youth ambassadors around the world who are marine biologists, divers, and aquanauts as young as 12 years old. Once they complete the program, they are given a scholarship to a university of their choosing. 

The Marine Conservation Network organizes plunges around the world each year to support the ambassadors. Their next one is scheduled for June 8, World Oceans Day. 

Kishinevsky and co-organizer Carson Spencer said the event came out of UC Santa Barbara’s “Environmental Leadership Incubator,” a nine-month program that encourages student-initiated projects that seek to implement positive environmental change. 

“I wanted to do a community event that aimed to make the world a better place,” Kishinevsky said. 

The two organized the event with environmental consciousness in mind, relying on paperless digital advertisements and leading a beach cleanup once the crowd dispersed. They hope to make the Earth Day Plunge a tradition at UCSB to continue to raise awareness. 

“We’re trying to spread this and have the splash be as big as possible,” said Kishinevsky.