Seals ‘feel’ oxygen dropping to defy drowning during deep dives | Engineering

​​Marine mammals can hold their breath for extended periods underwater; the question is, how do they know when it’s time to resurface?

Scientists have discovered a possible super sense that makes marine mammals, like seals, exceptionally adapted for deep dives. 

Seals store oxygen efficiently as well as possess a unique cognitive ability to sense blood oxygen levels. This helps them dive longer and avoid drowning.

“The study provides compelling evidence that gray seals possess the cognitive ability to perceive oxygen levels, allowing them to regulate their dive duration accordingly,”  researchers from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews noted in the press release. 

Study on wild gray seals

Mammals can’t live without oxygen. For…