How Do Marine Mammals Survive Deep Diving

They have very muscular and efficient lungs which can exhale up to 90% of the air in their lungs in any give breath (an athletic human can do around 10%.) Thus, by removing the air from their body, a diving marine mammal has very little problems with changing pressure. No air, no problem.

How do mammals survive deep dives?

In deep-diving whales and seals, the peripheral airways are reinforced, and it is postulated that this allows the lungs to collapse during travel to depth. … Instead deep-diving whales and seals rely on large oxygen stores in their blood and muscle. Several adaptations enable this.

How do deep diving marine mammals avoid the bends?

When air-breathing mammals dive to high-pressure depths, their lungs compress. … Marine mammals’ chest structure allows their lungs to compress. Scientists have assumed that this passive compression was marine mammals’ main adaptation to avoid taking up excessive nitrogen at depth and getting the bends.