How deep can a whale dive?

Whales are accomplished divers. The deepest whale dive recorded so far was made by a Cuvier's beaked whale. A 2014 study used satellite-linked tags to follow the dives of eight beaked whales off the southern California coast. The deepest recorded dive was 2,992 metres, breaking the record for diving mammals.

Experts have suggested that this dive was unusually deep for this species. A more normal depth would be 2,000 metres.

Sperm whales also regularly dive 1,000 to 2,000 metres deep.

Read more about deep-diving whales.

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