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Why don’t marine mammals like whales get “the bends”?
Stephen Johnson
Eugene, Oregon, US
Diving mammals don’t get the bends, or decompression sickness, because they don’t breathe compressed gases – or any gases for that matter – when they dive.
Decompression sickness is caused by the absorption of soluble gases in body tissues during diving. Because the pressure under water is greater than at the surface, these tissues strive to reach equilibrium with the outside water pressure. Humans can breathe while underwater through the use of compressed gas tanks. This gives humans an enormous exposure to nitrogen and other soluble gases. When…
