Cetacean dive records: depths and breath-holds compared

Cetaceans are the most extreme diving mammals. Cuvier’s beaked whale holds the absolute record for the class, with 2,992 metres of depth and 222 minutes of breath-hold documented (Schorr et al., PLoS ONE 2014). The sperm whale, for its part, dives to 2,250 metres to hunt giant squid. This database presents the 15 highest-performing divers on record.

The breath-hold champions

Cetaceans are the most extreme mammals when it comes to diving. Cuvier’s beaked whale holds the absolute world record: 2,992 metres and 222 minutes of breath-hold. The sperm whale dives to 2,250 metres to hunt giant squid. This interactive table compares maximum depths and breath-hold durations for the 15 highest-performing divers.

Going further

To understand how these animals defy the physics of diving, see the comparative physiology of diving (lungs, heart, myoglobin) and the breath-hold calculator, which measures your own performance against a sperm whale.

Absolute records: Cuvier’s beaked whale and the sperm whale

The world record for the deepest dive by a mammal goes to Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris): 2,992 m deep, measured by Schorr et al. in 2014 off California. The same team documented breath-holds in this species exceeding 3 h 42 min.

The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) makes more regular dives at 1,000-1,500 m, up to 138 minutes (Aoki et al. 2012), to track down its squid. The narwhal dives to more than 1,500 m beneath the Arctic sea ice, and the long-finned pilot whale hunts in sprints at 800 m depth (Aguilar Soto et al. 2008), the strategy known as “sprint diver“, energetically costly but with a high return. These records are observed thanks to DTAG tags and Argos pop-up tags.