120 days: German man sets world record for living under water
GuardianJan 22
German Engineer Sets 120-Day Underwater Living Record
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Above: Rudiger Koch jumps into the water to celebrate breaking the Guinness world record for living in the ocean off the coast of Puerto Lindo, Panama, on Jan. 24, 2025. Image copyright: Martin Bernetti/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
On Friday, German aerospace engineer Rudiger Koch, 59, emerged from an underwater capsule off Panama's coast after living submerged for 120 days.
An admirer of Captain Nemo in Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," Koch surpassed the previous record held by American Joseph Dituri, who spent 100 days submerged in a Florida lagoon.
Koch's 30-square-meter capsule, located 11 meters (36 feet) underwater, was equipped with modern amenities, including a bed, toilet, TV, computer, internet, and exercise bike, though it lacked shower facilities.
The Spin
Narrative A
The underwater habitat experiment demonstrates the viability of human expansion into marine environments, presenting a revolutionary approach to sustainable living and human settlement options in oceanic spaces.
Narrative B
The project raises concerns about creating autonomous ocean communities outside government control. Questions remain about the long-term physiological effects of extended underwater living compared to previous studies.
