When they want to breath they have to contract the muscles to open their nostrils. When they want to breath they have to contract the muscles to open their nostrils. But champion divers, such as elephant seals, can hold their breath for about two hours. The average whale can hold its breath for about 60 minutes. Unlike humans, harbor seals breathe out before diving. The longest a harbor seal can hold it’s breath is 28 minutes, but normally they breathe every few minutes. Mammals, including humans, are born with a dive reflex, which is activated when the face is submerged. A two-day-old harbor seal pup can stay submerged for up to two minutes. Their nostrils are relaxed when in the closed position. How do whales hold their breath underwater for so long? Humans can only change 20% of our air per breath. Whales can hold their breath for a very long time, and this ranges species to species. All marine mammals have special physiological adaptations for diving. The longest a harbor seal can hold it’s breath is 28 minutes, but normally they breathe every few minutes. Their nostrils are relaxed when in the closed position. Image caption Harbour seals routinely hold their breath for 30 minutes and even sleep underwater. For starters, whales have a very efficient respiratory system, which helps them make the most of a single breath. The average whale can hold its breath for about 60 minutes. The longest time a human has held their breath for under water is 19 minutes – set by a Swiss freediver called Peter Colat. They use oxygen already in their blood and muscles while under water, and their heartbeat slows from about 100 beats per minute to 10. Unlike humans, harbor seals breathe out before diving. Efficient respiratory system. To stay under this long, they slow their heartbeat way down. Seals dive for three minutes at a time typically, but they can stay under water as long as 30 minutes and dive as deep as 600 feet. If it’s an emergency, then much longer than we think - Thanks to the Mammalian diving reflex (Diving reflex - Wikipedia) I just got acquainted with. They use oxygen already in their blood and muscles while under water, and their … Seals live predominately in the water, but are out of the water for long periods of time as well. Adult harbor seals can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes, but dives usually last only about three minutes. They usually only dive for three or four minutes at a time. They channel blood to critical organs such as the flippers, heart and brain during a dive. 1985). Seals have a number of adaptations that allow them to ‘hold their breath’ for extended periods underwater. They can hold their breath for approximately 2 hours while under water. For example, a high proportion of oxygen is stored in their blood (and not the lungs) - their blood has more haemoglobin than ours. Some of these humans can stay underwater for a very long time," he said. When a seal surfaces from a long dive, it takes several rapid and deep breaths until the body's oxygen supply is replenished; at the same time, at least in harbor seals, a pronounced tachycardia (extremely rapid heartbeat) occurs (Fedak et al. Sperm whales make some of the longest dives achieved by mammals, with some lasting up to 90 minutes, while dolphins and other whales can stay underwater for 20 minutes. Without training, humans can hold their breath for about 90 seconds . Some seals in the Arctic (Weddell seals) spend a lot of time under the ice and can hold their breath for … During this time, the heart rate slows down and all the blood is diverted to the head and the torso. Harbor seals can sleep underwater for as long as 20 minutes. This makes them conscious breathers. There are a few things that play in whales’ favor when it comes to holding their breath for so long. It is fascinating to note that humans can hold their breath for twice as long underwater as they can on land with their mouth and nose closed (the record stands at around ten minutes). Study solves the mystery of one of the most extreme adaptations in the animal kingdom: how marine mammals store enough oxygen to hold their breath for up to an hour. Nicholas Pyenson, curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, said that the study was an exciting advancement for … In one breath a seal can exchange 90% of the air in its lungs.