Buzz
Loggerhead sea turtles are capable of staying underwater for as long as 10 hours on a single breath when needed. Amanda Nicholls/Stocktrek Images/Getty ImagesKey Insights
- The Cuvier's beaked whale boasts the longest breath-holding record among mammals, achieving dives of up to 138 minutes.
- Loggerhead sea turtles can remain submerged for up to 10 hours, particularly during periods of rest or sleep.
- Northern elephant seals and sperm whales also exhibit remarkable breath-holding capabilities, with dives lasting 119 minutes and 90 minutes, respectively.
Most humans can hold their breath for roughly two minutes, but in 2016, freediver Aleix Segura Vendrell from Barcelona, Spain, set a Guinness World Record by holding his breath for just over 24 minutes, an astonishing feat.
Humans aren't naturally designed for breath-holding; our evolutionary focus has been on developing large, complex brains rather than surviving without oxygen. If we had prioritized breath-holding, we might rival the average beaver, which can hold its breath for 15 minutes.
Many air-breathing animals are naturally equipped for extended breath-holding. Turtles, for instance, can spend entire winters at the bottom of frozen lakes in deep hibernation, bypassing lung use entirely. During this time, they absorb minimal oxygen through their highly vascularized cloaca, a process known as cloacal respiration. Sea turtles, however, don't use this method but can hold their breath for up to seven hours while sleeping. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) typically forage underwater for about 40 minutes but can survive on a single breath for up to 10 hours if necessary.
Turtles are ectotherms, relying on external heat sources, which makes oxygen conservation easier compared to endotherms like mammals. Mammals, including marine species such as whales, seals, and otters, require significant oxygen to maintain their high metabolic rates, making their ability to perform long, deep dives for hunting even more remarkable.
Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) is the deepest-diving marine mammal, believed to hold the record for the longest breath-holding session among endotherms. These whales can dive to depths of around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) in search of squid and other deep-sea prey, holding their breath for an average of 67 minutes, with one dive lasting 138 minutes. Previously, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) held the record at 119 minutes, while the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) ranks third with a 90-minute dive.
Surviving without oxygen for extended periods is no small feat, especially for mammals with high metabolic demands. However, many marine and aquatic mammals manage this by reducing their heart rates and diverting blood flow from their limbs to vital organs like the brain, heart, and muscles. They also possess unique oxygen-binding proteins in their muscles, enabling them to store far more oxygen than terrestrial animals.
A sloth can hold its breath for an impressive 40 minutes by slowing its heart rate to roughly one-third of its normal pace.
