SEALS - MASTERS OF DIVING
Who dives how deep and for how long?
Although seals can only breathe in air, they can still dive for a very long time. This is important because they search for food underwater. Different animal species can dive for different lengths of time and depths – even seal species differ in this respect.
Why can seals dive for so long?
Seals can dive longer and deeper than humans. Open the flaps and find out which mechanisms and organs make this possible.
The oxygen supply to the most important organs such as the brain, eyes, spinal cord, heart and lungs is prioritized. On the other hand, oxygen tends to be saved in other areas.
The seal can lower its heart rate, which means that the blood flows more slowly and oxygen is used more sparingly.
Seals have twice as much blood volume per kg of body weight as humans. This means that they also have more haemoglobin, which is needed to bind oxygen in the blood.
Seals can store twice as much oxygen in their muscles as humans. This is because they have more myoglobin, an oxygen-storing muscle protein.
AHA!
Did you know: Seals can dive for a long time, but they rarely do.
Usually, just a few minutes underwater are enough to find food.