Bizzare Facts

In the animal kingdom Olympics, you would expect the sleek, athletic **dolphin** to win every water-based event against the slow, moss-covered **sloth**. However, in a breath-holding contest, the sloth is the surprising champion. Dolphins are marine mammals that have evolved for millions of years to live in the ocean, yet they typically need to surface to breathe every 8 to 10 minutes. While they can push this limit in emergencies, they are fundamentally tethered to the surface.

**Sloths**, on the other hand, are surprisingly competent swimmers. When they drop from the canopy into a river to cross between landmasses, they can engage a physiological superpower. They are able to slow their heart rate to one-third of its normal pace, drastically reducing their oxygen consumption. This metabolic trick allows them to hold their breath underwater for up to **40 minutes**—four times longer than a typical dolphin dive.

This ability is crucial for their survival. Sloths are incredibly vulnerable on the ground, where they can only drag themselves slowly. In the water, they are buoyant and can move three times faster than on land. Their ability to stay submerged helps them avoid predators like jaguars and eagles while crossing wide rivers to find mates or new territory. It’s a reminder that even the slowest creature on Earth has hidden talents.