Story Highlights
- historical event: It is interesting that, during this dive, the famous Jacques Mayol was already 49 years old, and that at the age of 56 he managed to reach an even greater depth (105 meters). The film “The Big Blue”, directed by Luc Besson, was inspired by his life.
Jacques Mayol, a French citizen born in Shanghai, China, is the first man in recorded history who managed to dive to a depth of over 100 meters without breathing equipment, more precisely 101 meters. It was on this day that he made this historic venture along the coast of the Italian island of Elba. During this dive his heart beat decreased from 60 to 27 beats/min. Such a slowing of the heart can be also be seen in whales and dolphins during diving and is called the “mammalian diving reflex”.
Mayol used weights to descend and air balloons to ascent. It is interesting that during this dive Mayol was already 49 years old, and that at the age of 56 he managed to reach an even greater depth (105 meters). The 1988 film “The Big Blue”, directed by Luc Besson, was inspired by his life.
