Jake Gyllenhaal to celebrate 30th birthday in the Arctic

WENN, Sunday, November 21, 2010, 5:42pm (PST)

Jake Gyllenhaal is planning a 30th birthday to remember: He's jetting off to the Arctic to face his fear of freezing temperatures and frightening mammals.

The Hollywood star will celebrate the milestone in December and he's treating his family to an adventure in the Arctic Circle to scuba dive with walruses.

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But Gyllenhaal admits there's another reason behind the icy excursion.

He tells the New York Daily News, "The only reason I'm doing it is I wanted to do something that absolutely terrified me -- killer whales and walruses and freezing cold water? That seems absolutely terrifying."

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The actor adds that he's not worried about reaching the landmark age, thanks to a chat with his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

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"I was talking to my sister the other day about being 30 and celebrating the life you've had up to this point," he says. "I feel there's a massive sort of sea change coming in myself and I'm psyched."