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Which animals can hold their breath underwater the longest?

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Some animals can stay submerged for staggering lengths of time and hold their breath to dive, before coming up to the surface for air.

The absolute champions for lunged animals staying submerged are certain freshwater turtles, such as the Blanding 's turtle.

The record dive by a mammal was completed by a Cuvier 's beaked whale ( Ziphius cavirostris ), which lasted 222 minutes .

Big ectotherms have registered longest-lasting dives of any species.

The loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta) has a winning dive of 610 minutes , or 10.2 hours .

The freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) clocked up 402 minutes or 6.7 hours underwater.