BIRCH BAY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Many Whatcom County residents have been asking the same question over the past 24 hours: did the Birch Bay Polar Plunge break a Guinness World Record?

According to the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, it may be a while before we get an official answer.

The Chamber said that turnout for their annual New Year’s Day event was above and beyond what they had expected, though no official count or estimate has been released. The Chamber adds that Guinness has strict participation guidelines for mass record attempts.

That can include disqualifications for not going deep enough into the water or wearing a T-shirt.

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce says that they’ll continue to provide updates on the record verification process in the coming weeks.