The Cuvier’s Beaked Whale holds the record for the longest breath-holding ability underwater, far surpassing human limits.
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale. (Photo: R.W. Baird/Cascadia Research Collective)
Based on the longest dive recorded, the title for the animal with the longest breath-holding capability goes to the Cuvier’s Beaked Whale. In a 5-year study involving 23 individuals of this species, scientists documented one individual diving and holding its breath for a total of 3 hours and 42 minutes. In comparison, the human breath-holding record is only 24 minutes and 37 seconds, according to IFL Science. The average dive time for Cuvier’s Beaked Whales in the study was 59 minutes. Only 5% of the observed individuals had dives exceeding 1 hour and 17.7 minutes.
Many other marine animals can hold their breath for longer than that. For example, sperm whales typically spend about 1.5 hours underwater before surfacing to breathe. In addition to whales, elephant seals can also hold their breath for up to two hours while diving.
One reason marine mammals can stay underwater for such extended periods is that their muscles are rich in myoglobin, a protein specialized in storing oxygen and supplying it to muscle cells. Humans also have myoglobin, but at much lower densities. In humans, an excess of closely packed proteins can clump together and cause disease. However, whales and seals do not experience similar issues.
According to a study conducted in 2012, the myoglobin in deep-diving marine mammals is positively charged. “Like like-charged magnets, the proteins repel each other,” said Dr. Michael Berenbrink from the University of Liverpool. “In this way, we suggest that these animals can possess extremely high densities of myoglobin in their muscles, preventing them from clumping together and causing muscle blockage.”
However, myoglobin might only be part of the reason. Researchers also suspect that Cuvier’s Beaked Whales have a low metabolic rate, meaning they do not use up oxygen quickly. When it comes time to switch to anaerobic respiration, these whales are better equipped to tolerate the buildup of lactate (a byproduct of cellular metabolism) in their muscles.
