Marco Polo () is a form of tag played in a swimming pool.
Rules
One player is chosen as "it". That player, with closed eyes, tries to find and tag any one of the other players, relying on hearing to find someone to tag. The player who is "it" shouts "Marco" and the other players must all respond by shouting "Polo", which the "it" player uses to try to find them. If a player is tagged, then that player becomes "it". If "it" suspects that a player has left the pool, they can shout, "fish out of water!" and the player who is out of the pool becomes the new "it".
History
The game shares its name with the 13th-century Italian trader and explorer Marco Polo.
There does not appear to be any real connection between the game and the explorer of the same name. According to one whimsical explanation, "legend has it that the famed explorer didn't have a clue as to where he was going", this being reflected in the "it" player's behavior. Although water polo is another popular pool game, the name "Marco Polo" is unrelated.
The game is thematically similar to blind man's buff, an essentially identical game played on dry land that dates back to at least the 16th century. By the mid-1970s, the game had spread and become very popular in swimming pools frequented by expatriates living in Hong Kong.
In modern times, Marco Polo is played worldwide. There are many regional variants of the game,