Anyone who came across a bunch of swimmers at Sliema yesterday would have been justified in mistaking them for tourists from colder climates who found the weather warm enough to invite them into the sea... or quite simply lunatics going for a group swim.
The reality was that they were taking the plunge for charity... for a challenge and a laugh. They may not have been naked in the snow, braving sub-zero temperatures and breaking into ice-cold waters but they still managed to raise €2,500 (Lm1,073) for the chosen charity, Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija.
Last year, the Marsascala centre had received €3,394 (Lm1,500), the maximum ever raised by some 50 swimmers who had taken it upon themselves to test the winter waters while enjoying the health benefits of the contact with the cold.
For the ninth consecutive year, 46 swimmers - of ages ranging between six and 61 and in all shapes and sizes - stripped down to their swimwear and jumped into the water, with a temperature of 17°C, in front of the Plough & Anchor Pub in an initiative organised by Thomas Smith Group.
They were watched and supported by families, friends and curious onlookers.
The swim for charity had been postponed from last week due to adverse weather conditions, said the organiser, Anton Buttigieg, one of the Thomas Smith Group managers, who was the first to set the annual philanthropic trend nine years ago - as a bet. It was not so much the rough sea and biting cold but the fear that the rain would put people off attending that had led him to postpone the event.
Nine years ago, the weather was even worse than last week and a far cry from the relative warmth and clear skies that blessed yesterday's morning.
Nine years ago, Mr Buttigieg was drinking at the Plough & Anchor on an unpleasant Sunday morning between Christmas and New Year when he decided he would take on a bet to brave an angry sea... and the rest is history.
"The event would not take place if I did not swim," he laughs. A regular swimmer throughout the year, he said he would do it whatever the weather, pointing out that he had even swum in Ireland in winter.
The charity "challenge" is now established on the group's calendar of events. Donations are made by participants and people who just turn up on the day, or take the initiative to collect money beforehand.
This year saw the youngest participant, six-year-old Noah Rapa, who loves swimming and who was following in his father's footsteps, despite an element of apprehension. It did not dampen his spirit and prevent him from experiencing a mini adventure.
The oldest was 71-year-old former footballer Alfred Abela, who swims regularly throughout the year and for whom the plunge was no big deal. He was doing it for his 12-year-old granddaughter, who has a disability, he said.
The hardest part is jumping in and the first impact with the cold water. Swimming to the buoy is not that bad as the body adjusts, explained one participant, admitting that her hands went numb when she hit the sea.
Getting out could not be that bad either when considering that the swimmers were greeted by onlookers who, shivering at the mere thought of swimming, welcomed them with towels and shots of whisky as they emerged refreshed and invigorated.