(mL O2/kg)

Dwarf sperm whale Bottlenose dolphin Piscitelli et al. (2010)

Pinnipeds Otariids Short duration divers Phocids Elite divers Low High

Pinnipeds Otariids Short duration divers Phocids Elite divers 3.0 g myoglobin/100 g muscle 4 - 5 g myoglobin/100 g muscle

Cetaceans Vaquita ~ 4 feet long Blue whale 100 feet long

Northern Right Whale Dolphin Odontocetes Northern Right Whale Dolphin Dives for ~ 6.5 minutes 2.0 g myoglobin/100 g muscle Narwhal Dives for ~ 25 minutes 8.0 g myoglobin/100 g muscle

Mysticetes Sei whale Dives for 5 - 20 minutes 0.9 g myoglobin/100 g muscle Bowhead Dives for over an hour 3.5 g myoglobin/100 g muscle

(mL O2/kg)

Kooyman (1989)

Highly active, Deep diver 143 ml blood/kg body mass Dall’s porpoise Highly active, Deep diver 143 ml blood/kg body mass Highest hemoglobin concentration Pacific white-sided dolphin Intermediately active 108 ml blood/kg body mass Intermediate hemoglobin concentration Bottlenose dolphin Coastal dwelling, sedentary 71 ml blood/kg body mass Lowest hemoglobin concentration Ridgway and Johnson (1966)

Moderate divers Humans, sea otters, northern fur seals, and bottlenose dolphins 14 – 17 g/100 ml blood Deeper divers Harbor seals, elephant seals, Weddell seals, Dall’s porpoise, and beluga whales 21-25 g/100 ml blood

Weddell seals Large spleen Contracts during dive Increases red blood cells in blood Hurford et al. (1996)

Dive Response