🐋 Blue whale vs Whale shark 🦈
The blue whale is about 3 times as long as the whale shark. The blue whale weighs about 4 times as much as the whale shark.
| Row | 🐋 Blue whale | 🦈 Whale shark |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the whale shark yet. | 20 mph32 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The blue whale weighs about 4 times as much as the whale shark. | 165 tons150 tonnes1 | 40 tons36 tonnes2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 80 to 90 years80 to 90 years1 | 60 to 100 years60 to 100 years2 |
| Eats Both eat tiny floating sea life. | krill, tiny shrimp-like animals, by the mouthful | plankton, krill and tiny fish |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | every ocean | warm seas around the world |
Which one? Blue whale or whale shark
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the whale shark yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
Compare two more
Getting the animals ready…
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/blue-whale-vs-whale-shark
Where these numbers come from
- NOAA Fisheries, checked 30 October 2026.
- NOAA National Ocean Service, checked 30 October 2026.