August 18th, 1968, Robert G. Croft, instructor of the American navy, took his breath and dived into blue waters of Gulf Stream off Strong Landerlale ( Florida). He(it) reached a depth controlled by 70 metres, and joined the surface two minutes and 28 seconds after the beginning of the descent. During several years, Croft and French Mayol quarrelled this record in some metres near. In 1973 Italian Enzo Maiorca carried(wore) easily this record in 80 m, depth which has moreover any chances to be still improved. To appreciate better such exploits, we shall remind that most of our sports divers, in good physical condition and without the help of no respiratory system, do not come down(fall) that hard in 25 or 30 metres, during dives which overtake only rarely one and a half minute.

The possibilities of the human body are far from being known, for the excellent reason which the men(people), even subjected to an intense training, cross(spend) relatively not enough time in the water, while dolphins(dauphins) lives there since his(her,its) birth. Considering the physiological differences between both Mammals in question, it is not rash to think that a man raised(brought up) in the water since his youngest age would realize performances of depth and of duration at least equal has half of those of dolphin(dauphin) of size and comparable weights, that is 150 metres deep and six or seven minutes of duration. Contrary in one popular faith, in such a depth the rib cage would behave as a supple(flexible) bag and would not run a risk of destruction.

In whom concerns the duration of dumping, we shall remind that, at about the years 1880-1890, divers "exhibitionists" dived into glass ponds in front of an immense crowd of spectators and stayed under the water 4 minutes ½ in 4 minutes.

To hold(Retain) his(her,its) breath, the records of dive of the sperm whale are disproportionate with those of the majority of the other Mammals, and almost have to join on a picture(table) part. When it is a question of holding(retaining) its breath ( apnée ), the man beats hardly the puffin.

 Half an hour under the water

The Cetaceans of certain sorts, when they cross near the surface of waters, once inhale every 2 or 3 minutes. But it happens that after a particularly long dive they are quite panting(breathless) and breathe 5 - 6 times per minute, before finding a normal respiratory rate. In other end of the scale(ladder), the small whale with beak, of the tribe of rorquals, can stay under the water 2 hours in a row. Sperm whales, of which every hard dumping frequently 50 minutes, are capable (as proved him(it) of very severe timing) to stay in dive during 90 minutes. The frank whales remain collectively under waters the whole one hour, while rorquals, their relatives(parents), practises dives of 40 minutes (with, between two dumpings, breaks in surface of a dozen minutes). The performances of dolphins(dauphins) are, on this point, infinitely less spectacular. They remain immersed no more than 5 minutes during them common raids towards capital, and rarely beat the record of 10 minutes. Between two dives, they set generally of long times of rest in surface, breathing then twice in the minute.

The duration of dumping of the seals and the sea lions, however surprising it can appear, is superior to that of dolphins(dauphins) and porpoises. Ces Pinnipèdes stays frequently in dive 15 minutes in a row. A female seal of Steller, stayed under the water during 16 minutes, and a seal of Weddell made a dive controlled of 45 minutes. The dives of the sea otter, less indeed adapted to the life on and in the water, owed no more than 5 minutes. As for the least aquatic, polar bear of all the Mammals, he can remain under the water only the time of a breath, that is during approximately one and a half minute.

Mammals divers: the scale(ladder) of this picture(table) of the records of dive of the maritime Mammals must be arranged(settled) to give way in records of the seal of Weddell and the sperm whale. Without accessory nobody, the human being is possible that to cross the superficial coat(layer).