🐟 Giant manta ray vs Whale shark 🦈
The whale shark is about one and a half times as long as the giant manta ray. The whale shark weighs about 15 times as much as the giant manta ray.
| Row | 🐟 Giant manta ray | 🦈 Whale shark |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The whale shark weighs about 15 times as much as the giant manta ray. | 2.6 tons2.4 tonnes1 | 40 tons36 tonnes2 |
| Lives The whale shark usually lives about twice as long as the giant manta ray. | 45 years45 years1 | 60 to 100 years60 to 100 years2 |
| Eats Both eat tiny floating sea life. | plankton, tiny shrimp-like animals and fish eggs | plankton, krill and tiny fish |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | warm and mild seas around the world | warm seas around the world |
Which one? Giant manta ray or whale shark
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the giant manta ray or 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/giant-manta-ray-vs-whale-shark
Where these numbers come from
- NOAA Fisheries, checked 30 October 2026.
- NOAA National Ocean Service, checked 30 October 2026.