Entertainment

German Engineer Sets 120-Day Underwater Living Record

Published JAN 25 2025

Story

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 credit: 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.
guardian
The Express Tribune
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.
guardian
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.
Divernet
NDTV
The underwater habitat was connected to a surface chamber via a spiral staircase tube, allowing food deliveries and visitor access. Solar panels provided power and a backup generator for emergencies.
NDTV
Free Press Journal
Four cameras monitored Koch's activities 24/7, capturing daily life and verifying that he never surfaced during the 120 days.
RTE.ie
Divernet
The underwater chamber functioned as an artificial reef, providing shelter for marine life and allowing Koch to document over 1K hours of marine footage through the capsule's portholes.
PHYS
Divernet

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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.

New York Post

South China Morning Post

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.