What is the Largest Whale? A Cetacea Size Comparison Chart.

How do right whales size up? North Atlantic Right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are big, but they're not the biggest whales. That distinction goes to the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest animal on Earth. While the Orca, or Killer whale size of up to 31 feet make it the largest dolphin. The Sperm whale on the other hand may not be the biggest whale, but it has the biggest brain to have ever existed on Earth. Below is a comparison chart of whale sizes. To learn more whale facts follow the links below.

Tags: 
Whales, Scientific illustrations, Cetaceans, Right whales
Credit: Smithsonian Institution

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

How does the 90 foot long 100 ton blue whale, the world's largest creature, develop from a single unfertilized cell? How does a single cell destroy that same massive blue whale?

Hi and thanks for your comment. This graphic shows size comparisons for some of whales, but it doesn't represent every whale species. The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a baleen whale that that makes the longest migration of any other known mammal. Each fall and spring season, they pass between their Arctic summer feeding grounds and the lagoons near the equator to birth calves. Gray whales range in size from about 36-49 feet. To learn more and see photos of this mammal, visit the gray whale on the Encyclopedia of Life.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Curious why Orcas seem to be included on all whale charts when they are actually the largest in the dolphin family?

That is a great question. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises all belong to an order of marine mammals called cetaceans. Scientists usually categorize cetaceans into two sub groups, toothed whales (odontoceti) and baleen whales (mysticeti).

Baleen whales, suborder mysticeti, include right whales, humpback whales, blue whales and many others. These whales feed by filtering food from water through baleen plates.

Toothed whales, suborder odontoceti, have teeth and are active hunters. Dolphins, porpoises, and whales such as the orca, beluga, and the narwhal are some examples of toothed whales.

This size chart compares some of the better-known cetaceans, including both groups.

Thanks for your question,
The Ocean Portal Team

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Please help us plan the cleanup of all of the plastic floating around in the pacific gyre and abroad. I am 47 years old and travelled to the British Virgin Islands last year for the first time. The surface beauty was breathtaking and then when you looked at the eastern shore of Tortuga island it was covered in trash. Plastic trash, tires, refrigerator parts, boat parts, ropes, trash bags, bottle caps, toys etc...In the middle of the beautiful carribean. This is a disgrace to all humans and animals.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

It's one thing to use the earth for the benefit of all but when you use the earth and don't replenish it or clean up your mess....you put in motion a series of circumstances that we all pay for. That's not fair to us of those who don't.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Why can I not find a comparison of the grey whales to all the rest. There are charts on many diferent sites but they seem to all avoid the Grey's

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

stupid chart

Submitted by mark zuckerberg (not verified) on

when you compare the man and blue whale the man is the shortest?

Thanks for the feedback! We will look into adding their weights.

Submitted by Anonymouspys (not verified) on

...single cell destroy that same massive blue whale? aren't they alive? what are you trying to say,can you explain...??

Submitted by alex (not verified) on

i love your graph it really helped me

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

this will help so many people to see how big whales are.

Submitted by shayna rose (not verified) on

nice!
but where is the weight of each whale?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

I believe you're mistaken when you refer to an UNfertilized cell...to my knowledge (and I don't know much), I'm not quite sure that ANY creature can be developed from anything but a totally FERTIZED cell. -- Chestertown, MD

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