The largest, biggest, heaviest whales – TOP 10

The largest and heaviest whales – TOP 20

Whales vary greatly in size. Some are relatively small, such as the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), which grows to about 3.5 m (11 ft). Others are massive creatures that stimulate our imagination, such as the blue whale and the humpback. The biggest whales are the largest animals that ever existed on Earth. They are undoubtedly the heaviest animals to have ever lived, far surpassing the heaviest dinosaurs, such as Argentinosaurus. Whales are long-lived animals. Some species live for more than 200 years—such as the bowhead whale – whereas others, like the humpback, have a lifespan closer to 50 to 90 years. Whales inhabit all the world’s oceans. Below, we present a list of the 20 heaviest whales that currently live on Earth.

The biggest and heaviest whales – TOP 20

Rank 20-16

20. Pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) – 3.5 t (7,716 lbs)

19. Tropical bottlenose whale (Indopacetus pacificus) – 4 t (8818 lbs)

18. Southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) – 6 t (13,228 lbs)

17 . Northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) – 7.5 t (16,535 lbs)

16. Northern minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) – 8.35 t (18,409 lbs)

Rank 15-11

15. Killer whale (Orcinus orca) – 10 t (22,046 lbs)

14. Southern minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) – 10.4 t (22,928 lbs)

13. Giant beaked whale (Berardius arnuxii) – 14 t (30,865 lbs)

12. Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius bairdii) – 14 t (30,865 lbs)

11. Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) – 25 t (55,116 lbs)

Rank 10-6

10. Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) – 36 t (79,366 lb)

9. Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) – 37.75 t (83,225 lb)

      8. Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) – 40 t (88,184 lb)

7. Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) – 57 t (126,663 lbs)

6. Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) – 74 t (163,142 lbs)

Rank 5-1

      5. Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) – 80 t (176,370 lbs)

4. North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) – 80 t (176,370 lbs)

3. Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) – 100 t (220,462 lbs)

2. North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) – 106 t (233,690 lbs)

1. Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) – 190 t (418,878 lbs)

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