How Can Whales & Dolphins Hold Breath For So Long Underwater?

Home » How Long Can Whales Hold Their Breath » How Can Whales & Dolphins Hold Breath For So Long Underwater?

Maybe your like

Whales and dolphins can hold their breath for so long underwater because they have efficient respiratory systems, they can conserve energy underwater by purposely slowing their heart rate, constructing select arteries and limiting blood supply to only a few organs, and they have a protein in their muscles called myoglobin that stores oxygen.

Here’s a fun fact: whales and dolphins are not really fish.

whale-scared-meme1

This might be one of those truths of the world that make you doubt your existence, but it’s absolutely correct. Whales and dolphins are not fish; they are mammals, just like us humans!

This has a few implications that make them stand out from most members of their aquatic neighborhood. First, whales give birth to their young ones (as opposed to laying eggs) and feed them milk. They’re warm-blooded too, and tend to have fur on their bodies (although it’s very sparse). However, the most interesting distinction between whales and other fish is that the former don’t have gills. This means that they cannot breathe the oxygen dissolved in water and therefore have to come to the surface every time they want to breathe air.

whale-need-fresh-air-meme

The question is – how do whales (and other mammals living underwater) manage to hold their breath for so long before taking another breath?

Short answer: Whales’ lungs make the most of each breath, and store excess oxygen in a special protein found in muscles called myoglobin. Also, they conserve energy underwater by purposely slowing their heart rate, constructing select arteries and limiting blood supply to only a few organs.

Recommended Video for you:

How Do Deep Sea Fish Survive the Extreme Pressure?

Tag » How Long Can Whales Hold Their Breath