How long can a whale hold its breath?
It depends on the species. Many whales hold their breath for 10 to 30 minutes, but Cuvier's beaked whales can stay underwater for more than three hours.
Whales are built for long dives. They store large amounts of oxygen in their blood and muscles, using proteins called hemoglobin and myoglobin. During a dive, their heart rate slows and blood flow is directed to the heart and brain.
Sperm whales can dive for about an hour and reach depths of more than 1,000 meters to hunt squid. Blue whales usually feed in shorter dives of about 10 to 20 minutes. Cuvier's beaked whales hold the records, with dives deeper than 2,900 meters and one recorded dive of about 3 hours and 42 minutes.
How whales breathe
Whales breathe consciously, not automatically like humans. When they surface, they blow out stale air in a spout and quickly take a fresh breath. Some whales rest one half of the brain at a time so they can keep breathing.
Did You Know?
Humans can usually hold their breath for about 30 seconds to two minutes, though trained free divers can last much longer.