The Fascinating Sleep Habits of Elephant Seals During Deep Dives
Northern elephant seals have learned to sleep and dive at the same time during their seven to eight months foraging trips in the North Pacific Ocean. Researchers have discovered that the seals sneak in short naps during deep dives while holding their breath, and when they experience sleep paralysis, they continue to spiral down in a corkscrew pattern, which the researchers refer to as a "sleep spiral." The study marked the first time scientists recorded brain activity in free-ranging wild marine mammals, capturing data from 104 sleep dives.