Whale Breath Hold

A sperm whale can stay underwater for over an hour while a human diver cannot. Its body stores and saves oxygen in several different ways.

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Age 13: open this week

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In the picture

Badge 1 sits on the small jar beside the human diver, which stands for a smaller blood volume.
Badge 2 sits on the large jar beside the whale, which stands for a much larger blood volume.
Badge 3 sits on the tightly packed red discs, which stand for blood with more red cells.
Badge 4 sits on the whale’s cutaway muscle, which stores oxygen for the dive.
Badge 5 sits on the narrowed vessel to the heart and brain, where blood flow is kept during the dive.

Examples

A camel storing water before a long desert walk.
A battery saving power for only the most important devices.

Key takeaways

Deep-diving whales carry more oxygen in their blood and muscles.
They slow blood flow to most parts of the body and keep it going to the heart and brain.