Here is how the man who lived for two weeks at the bottom of the ocean was able to use the bathroom.
We're more than familiar with stories of astronauts surviving in space, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to do the exact opposite and pitch up at the bottom of the ocean for a couple of weeks?
Turns out there's a bunch of people who've done exactly that, they're called aquanaut. Thalassophobes look away now, as we're about to take a journey to the ocean floor...
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Back in 2003, retired NASA astronaut and engineer Garrett Reisman spent two weeks living 62 ft below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean at Aquarius Reef Base, which is located a few miles of the coast of Key Largo, Florida.
But why you ask? For science, and also training in extreme environments helps astronauts prepare for future trips to the International Space Station.
Reisman would later recall his underwater experience during a 2020 interview with Joe Rogan, revealing how simple things such as going to the toilet became more complicated underwater.
The 56-year-old explained that while urination was relatively straight forward on the seafloor, going for a number two required a little more forward planning.
In order to do his business, Reisman would have to pop on an oxygen mask, exit the base and swim to a nearby 'gazebo' in order to pull his trunks down and do his business.
Problem is, the fish would soon become 'accustomed' to aquanauts emptying their bowels as it meant dinner time for them.
"So they go there knowing that you're gonna poop?" a shocked Rogan asked.
"As soon as you drop in the water at night it's like the dinner bell going off, because this is feeding time," replied Reisman.
Naturally Rogan had the perfect follow-up question, asking the astronaut: "You feel them, pecking at the back door?"
"The worst were the angel fish," Reisman replied. "You take your fin off and you're just whacking them."
Truly a sobering thought.
As grim as they sound, makeshift toilets weren't the biggest issue for the crew hanging out at the Aquarius Reef Base, with Reisman also explaining how coming back to the surface was a complex operation due to the build up of nitrogen in their bloodstream.
Explaining how a quick return to the surface in an emergency wasn't an option, he said: "If you run out of air or you lose sight of your buddy or something you can't go to the surface, because within a couple hours you'll be dead.
"Coming up is not an option."
Topics: Science, Environment, Weird
Brenna Cooper