Florida man Joseph Dituri has set a new record for living underwater after spending 74 days in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, which is situated at the bottom of a 30-foot-deep lagoon in Key Largo. Dituri’s achievement broke the previous record of 73 days set by Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain at the same location back in 2014. Dituri is an associate professor at the University of South Florida, and his impressive achievement was part of a research project that aimed to investigate how prolonged time spent underwater affects the human body and mind.
But if all goes according to plan, he’ll be extending his record at the lodge until June 9 which will mark the 100th day of his mission. His feat has not been without some challenges along the way because being underwater for such a long period meant he had to adjust to the unique environment, including the constant dampness and limited space around him. But despite this, he managed to maintain a positive outlook and used his time to conduct research on the effects of living underwater on the human body.
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The University of South Florida professor’s achievement has garnered significant attention from the media and the scientific community, with Dituri saying that he hopes it will inspire others to take an interest in underwater research and exploration. In addition, he believes that his investigation will help to inform future space exploration missions since prolonged space travel can have similar effects on the body as living underwater. Dituri’s accomplishment has been widely celebrated, with many hailing him as a pioneer in underwater research.
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Some would say that his success is a testament to the human spirit of adventure and exploration and our ability to adapt to extreme environments. Indeed, Dituri’s feat reminds us how much we still have to learn about the world around us and how much there is still left to explore.
“The record is a small bump and I really appreciate it,” Dituri said of his accomplishment. “The idea here is to populate the world’s oceans, to take care of them by living in them and really treating them well.”
“The thing that I miss the most about being on the surface is literally the sun,” Dituri said. “I’m honored to have it, but we still have more science to do. The sun has been a major factor in my life – I usually go to the gym at five and then I come back out and watch the sunrise.”