Cuvier’s dolphin, family of beaked whales, continues to amaze scientists. One of these dolphins stayed under water for no less than 3 hours and 42 minutes. And that is the new record for all mammals.
These creatures are known for their deep diving skills and they can stay underwater for an hour on average. But nearly 4 hours underwater is the longest ever recorded for a mammal.
Mystery
Researchers have long been puzzled by Cuvier’s dolphin. Because they often dive under water for a long time and do not stay on top for long, it is difficult to follow them. What is known is that the male dolphin has two teeth to fight. Females don’t.
They usually hunt squid and therefore dive to a depth of 3,000 meters. Then when they surface again, they stay on the surface for about two minutes and then dive back. In 2014 there was another dolphin from Cuvier that stayed under water for a very long time, namely 2 hours. The latest study was conducted on 24 dolphins with more than 3,600 dives over a 5-year period.
Medical
Researchers think these animals can help answer some medical questions, such as cancer or the coronavirus. “There is some interest in working with colleagues in oncology at Duke University, and even Covid-19, as cells lose oxygen or are in hypoxic conditions in the process,” Nicola Quick tells BBC News.
With hypoxia, there is too little oxygen in the veins. But that is exactly what the dolphins are good at, they can survive for a long time with little oxygen “So if these whales show hypoxic conditions in their tissues and if we can figure out what they are doing about it, it could have a different implication for human health ? ”
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