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Don't Try This At Home: Whales Set New Breath-Hold Record

Satellite tag being attached to the dorsal fin of a Cuvier's beaked whale. The tagging arrow can be seen in the air as it detaches from the tag. (Erin Falcone/Cascadia Research under NOAA permit 16111)
Satellite tag being attached to the dorsal fin of a Cuvier's beaked whale. The tagging arrow can be seen in the air as it detaches from the tag. (Erin Falcone/Cascadia Research under NOAA permit 16111)

Researchers have documented a new breath hold record among mammals. They timed a dive by a whale off the coast of California that lasted two hours and 17 minutes.

To gather the initial results, which were published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, the researchers used barbed darts to attach temporary dive recorders to the dorsal fins of eight whales. The satellite-linked tags were made by a Redmond, Washington company, Wildlife Computers.

From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Tom Banse has more.

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