Crossing the Equator: Interesting Photos of the Shellback Initiation Aboard the USS Princeton in 1957

A Shellback Initiation, also known as the Crossing the Line Ceremony, is a naval tradition for sailors who cross the equator for the first time. Those who haven’t crossed are called “Pollywogs,” and after the crossing, they undergo a ceremony led by a mock “Royal Court” with “King Neptune.”

The initiation involves playful and often messy challenges, like crawling through slime or performing embarrassing tasks, marking their transformation into “Shellbacks” — seasoned sailors who have crossed the equator.

This small set of amazing slides from m20wc51 taken by a US Navy officer aboard the USS Princeton, CV-37, in 1957.