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Biology

The Physiological Limits of Diving Depth and Duration in Deep-Diving Marine Mammals

Quick fact

A Cuvier's beaked whale holds the record for the deepest and longest dive among marine mammals, reaching 2,992 meters and staying submerged for 138 minutes—far beyond the theoretical aerobic dive limit for its body size.

Why this is interesting

You can hold your breath for about a minute, but a Cuvier's beaked whale stays underwater for over two hours and dives deeper than 2,900 meters. How do they do it without suffocating or getting crushed by pressure?