Why Diving Marine Animals do not Drown

After discussing plans for marrying up my prospector friend Stormie Waters and her fiancée Roland Meadows, those two and some others lingered at my place to make chin music. Ruby Slippers was promoted to Matron of Honor and her husband is a groomsman.

Ruby had a question about the Bajau "sea nomads," divers who go underwater for about ten minutes. She wondered how. They have certain physical qualities and practice, I told her. Sea mammals can go very deep for much longer periods because they were created for that life and we were not.

Seal, Pexels / Daniel Lee

When you hold your breath, you become aware of carbon dioxide buildup and getting air becomes very important. (Breathing too shallow can make you feel strange.) A seal can dive and forage for about half an hour.

Some critters last even longer. They are aware of their oxygen levels instead of the carbon dioxide buildup, and have some help from the myoglobin molecule and other physiological differences. The Creator made them suitable for their environments, but evolutionists cannot explain how these differences could happen bit by bit over long periods of time.

While you’re reading this, hold your breath. What is now happening is your blood is delivering the last of oxygenated blood cells to your tissues while carbon dioxide is rapidly building up (hypercapnia). At the same time, there is a steady decrease of blood oxygen (hypoxia). The pH of your blood is getting slightly lower (acidic), and your heart starts to beat faster. God designed your brain to sense the increased carbon dioxide levels and initiates the effort for you to breathe. This will last for about a minute before there will be an involuntary intake of air via the contraction of your diaphragm.

To finish reading, visit "Marine Mammals: Designed for Deep Diving."