Beaked Whales Dive Deeper, Longer Than Other Marine Mammals
Researchers from WHOI have used new technology to track one of the more elusive whale species. They discovered something surprising:
For years, sperm whales and elephant seals were thought to hold world records for holding their breath under water. But those animals have nothing on beaked whales.
Using digital tags temporarily suction-cupped to two species of beaked whales, researchers led by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution tracked Cuvier’s beaked whales diving to depths of nearly 6,230 feet (1,900 meters) and staying down for 85 minutes. They also documented smaller Blainville’s beaked whales diving 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) for up to 57 minutes.
“These data establish beaked whales as the extreme breath-hold champions of all animals studied so far,” said WHOI engineer Mark Johnson, who developed the “D-tags,” which record whale movements, their echolocations, and other underwater sounds.
- The Deepest Divers
- Wikipedia: Beaked Whales
- Beaked Whale Resource
Tags: deepsea, marine mammals, whales