You may have heard the question, “Are sharks bigger than whales?” But are sharks actually bigger than whales? Let’s examine these two sea creatures to better understand their size differences. Sharks’ skeletons are made of a highly flexible material called cartilage, which makes them lighter than whales. This allows them to breathe without difficulty, thanks to their gills, which are located in slits on the side of their head. This highly folded tissue is perfect for breathing.

Whale sharks

While Basking Sharks are found off the western coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, you are more likely to encounter a Whale Shark in Mexico or Belize. They are not considered apex predators, but more like whales with gills. If you are looking for a Whale Shark in Hawaii, however, you will have to travel to Mexico or Belize. There are some important differences between these two types of sharks.

A whale shark’s mouth contains over 300 rows of tiny teeth and 20 filter pads. Their mouths are located on the front of their heads, not on the underside. They are approximately 1.55 m long. Their head is large, with two tiny eyes on the front corners. They have five large pairs of gills and a white belly. Whale sharks have thick skin and are largely aquatic.

Blue whales

Although blue whales are bigger than sharks, this fact does not come as a surprise. The species is the largest extant animal on earth. They have almost no natural predators and the only one big enough to attack them is a killer whale. Sadly, that means that blue whales are vulnerable to human activity and are now listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. In addition, their numbers have plummeted due to the overfishing and commercial whaling activities that once ravaged them.

These massive creatures are able to eat a large amount of food in a day, and they do so by filtering krill with their baleen in their mouths. It has been estimated that an adult blue whale can eat up to four tons of krill per day! There are five subspecies of blue whales, and they can be found in the North Pacific, Atlantic, and Antarctic oceans. Their distribution is relatively limited, though. They are found in coastal areas of New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia. Other species of whales are the sperm and fin whales.

Black Demons

Local fishermen have reported seeing mysterious black creatures that resemble giant sharks in the sea. The film, Deep Blue Sea, made it popular to believe that genetically engineered sharks lurked beneath the waves. While there has been no physical evidence of such a creature, some people believe it is a Great White shark with abnormally large teeth. However, scientists have yet to find any physical evidence that can back up this claim.

Giant squid

The colossal squid has enormous eyes. These giant squids are larger than whales and can discern large shapes from a considerable distance. They can even create sonic blasts. The sperm whale is known to have eaten giant squid. Nevertheless, it has not been confirmed that giant squids are bigger than whales.

Until 2004, the only time we’d seen a giant squid alive was during postmortem examinations of whale carcasses. But researchers were not able to capture a live giant squid until 2004. Japanese researchers were able to capture the first live giant squid pictures in 2004. The scientists believe giant squids are so large because they use them to avoid sperm whales.

The colossal squid’s diet includes deep-sea fish, which they snatch with their powerful tentacles. They also use giant suckers lined with small teeth to grasp their prey. Sperm whales are known to be very adept at hunting giant squids and follow their movements in hopes of spotting these giant squids.