A man who spent 100 days living underwater at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers has resurfaced.
Dr Joseph Dituri, a university professor, has set a new record for the longest time living underwater without depressurisation during his stay at Jules’ Undersea Lodge.
The lodge was submerged beneath 30 feet of water in a Key Largo lagoon.
The diving explorer and medical researcher surpassed the previous mark of 73 days, two hours and 34 minutes set by two Tennessee professors in 2014.
Speaking on his experience underwater, Dr Dituri said: “It was never about the record.
“It was about extending human tolerance for the underwater world and for an isolated, confined, extreme environment.”
After 74 days under the water, Dr Dituri was listed on the Guinness World Records website.
The record-breaking firm said on its website: “The longest time spent living in an underwater fixed habitat is 74 days, and was achieved by Joseph Dituri (USA), who entered Jules’ Undersea Lodge, a steel-and-glass facility anchored at a depth of 9.14m (30 ft) just off the coast of Key Largo, Florida, USA, on 1 March 2023, as verified on 13 May 2023.”
Dr Joseph Dituri (R) waves to scuba diver Thane Milhoan under the sea in May 2023. Pic: AP
Now Dr Dituri has hit 100 days, the Marine Resources Development Foundation, which owns the lodge, will ask Guinness to certify the milestone.
Dr Dituri’s record-breaking mission, dubbed Project Neptune 100, was organised by the foundation.
Unlike a submarine, which uses technology to keep the inside pressure about the same as at the surface, the lodge’s interior is set to match the higher pressure found underwater.
Project Neptune is a long-term study which looks at the physiological and psychological effects of compressors on the human body, and it uses “the uniqueness of the mission and location to bring more awareness of current marine research and the importance of conservation of our ocean’s resources and processes.”
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In order to keep track of how his body responded, Dr Dituri carried out daily experiments to monitor his response to the pressure throughout his time underwater.
Dr Dituri plans to present the findings from Project Neptune 100 in November at the World Extreme Medicine Conference in Scotland.
