Egyptian diver Walaa Hafez, nicknamed the “Egyptian Whale,” recently made history as the first quadriplegic man to set the Guinness World Record for the Longest Scuba Dive (CI1) in a controlled environment.
According to Guinness World Records, CI1 classifies record attempts by people with loss of movement in all limbs. The record was set on August 11, 2025, at the Suez Canal Authority pool in Ismailia, Egypt.
During his dive, Hafez remained underwater at a depth of 5m/15ft in a pool for six hours, four minutes, and 45 seconds. The final result and award were formally announced on September 23, 2025.
Hafez is not a stranger to endurance dives, and the dive marked his return to endurance diving after a 2016 car accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Before the accident, he set the longest open saltwater scuba dive record in 2015, remaining underwater for 51 hours, 24 minutes, and 13 seconds. Last year, Hafez set a separate record by arranging 501 lifejackets to spell “peace.”
Discussing his achievement, Hafez stated:
“I feel committed to proving that no challenge is too great when you have the will and preparation to inspire Egyptians and others to face obstacles.”
While Guinness World Records Adjudicator Rafaat Tawfeek added:
“Respect and passion are two main values in our dictionary at Guinness World Records, and today this record showed passion more than anything else. I am amazed by the amount of resilience and persistence Walaa displayed as well as the passion, dedication and collaboration from the team helping him. Walaa is a role model in having a willpower which we all should be learning from.”
