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Underwater World Records
Did you know that the....
Deepest Dive By A Mammal
The deepest dive by a mammal was made by a bull sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) off the coast of Dominica, in the Caribbean, in 1991? Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute recorded the dive to a depth of 2,000 m (6,500 ft). The dive lasted one hour 13 minutes.
Deepest Dive By A Bird The deepest dive accurately measured for any bird is 483 m (1,584 ft), by an emperor penguin, (Aptenodytes forsteri), in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, in 1990? The longest known dive is 18 minutes, made by an emperor penguin at Cape Crozier, Antarctica in 1969...
Deepest Dive By A Turtle
In May 1987, it was reported by Dr. Scott Eckert that a leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) fitted with a pressure-sensitive recording device had reached a depth of 1,200 m (3,973 ft) off the Virgin Islands in the West Indies.
Deepest Point In The Ocean
The deepest part of the ocean was first determined in 1951 by HM Survey Ship Challenger in the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean. On January 23, 1960, the US Navy Trieste vessel descended to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and on March 24, 1995, the Japanese probe Kaiko recorded a depth of 10,911 m (35,797 ft), the most accurate measurement yet taken.
Deepest Manned Ocean Descent
The deepest ever manned ocean descent was on January 23, 1960, when Dr Jacques Piccard (Switzerland) and Lt. Donald Walsh, USN, piloted the US Navy bathyscaphe Trieste to a depth of 10,911 m (35,797 ft) in the Challenger Deep section of the Mariana Trench. Challenger Deep is thought to be the deepest point on earth and is situated 400 km (250 miles) south-west of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.
Here are a few more fun underwater records:
Underwater Juggling
America's multi-record-breaker Ashrita Furman (the man with the most Guinness World Records) juggled three balls while fully submerged in water for a duration of 48 minutes 36 seconds at Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in Auckland, New Zealand, on December 18, 2002.
Largest Underwater Wedding
The largest underwater wedding took place on September 13, 2003, when 105 divers (including the bride, groom and minister, Captain John Macy) submerged themselves completely in the waters of Rainbow Beach, St Croix, Virgin Islands, USA, to witness the marriage ceremony between Toni Wilson and John Santino.
A table was placed on the sea bed at a depth of about 3 m (10 ft), and witnesses signed a laminated guest registry ?using a waterproof pen. The event went smoothly with the exception of guests causing a minor visibility problem... when asked to kneel, guests disturbed the silty sea bed!
Largest Underwater Press Conference
On June 20, 1997, a group of 12 journalists representing Spanish newspapers and TV, plunged to a depth of 16 m (52 ft 5 in) off El Hierro, Canary Islands, to be present at a 20 minute book launch of Champion's Secrets, an underwater photo manual written by Carlos Virgili Rib?
This unique press conference was the result of over a decade of wet work photographing seascapes around the world from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The manual was displayed to journalists using a special sunken lectern. The group communicated using walkie-talkies or by pointing to questions on a laminated board. A boat on the surface recorded the answers.
More underwater feats...
Underwater Rope Jumping
Ashrita Furman completed 738 underwater rope jumps using a bent metal rod as the rope in the sea off the coast of Bali, Indonesia on January 26, 2001.
Underwater Mailbox
The mailbox is located 10 m (32.8 ft) beneath the waters of Susami Bay, Japan. Special waterproof plastic postcards are used by the divers. Sports divers can post mail in the box, which is officially part of the Susami post office and opened daily with a special key.
Underwater Cycling
Italian Vittorio Innocente cycled 1.2 km (3,937 ft) in 23 minutes 54 seconds in an Olympic-sized swimming pool in Chiavera, Italy on April 12, 2000.
Underwater Violinist
In March 1975 Mark Gottlieb performed a rendition of Handel's Water Music whilst submerged in Evergreen State College swimming pool in Olympia, Washington.
Most People Scuba Diving Simultaneously
The greatest number of people scuba diving simultaneously at the same location is 592, at an event organised by the Durban Underwater Club at Vetch's Pier, Durban, South Africa, on July 7th, 2001.
The 2004 edition of the Guiness Book of World Records is now available with the most recent and many more water related world records!
Source: Guinness Book of World Records
