The longest whale dive ever recorded clocks in at almost 4 hours

By Michael Le Page

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A Cuvier’s beaked whale has made the longest dive by any mammal ever recorded, lasting 3 hours and 42 minutes. That smashes the previous record of 2 hours and 43 minutes.

The record has stunned biologists. “This is quite a bit longer,” says Nicola Quick at Duke University in North Carolina. “It’s pretty amazing.”

The record for humans holding their breath underwater is 24 minutes, and this involves floating motionless. By contrast, whales are highly active during dives. “They are …