🐳 Orca vs Sperm whale 🐋
The sperm whale is about twice as long as the orca. The sperm whale weighs about 5 times as much as the orca.
| Row | 🐳 Orca | 🐋 Sperm whale |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the sperm whale yet. | 35 mph56 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The sperm whale weighs about 5 times as much as the orca. | 4 to 8 tons3.6 to 7.3 tonnes2 | 15 to 45 tons14 to 41 tonnes3 |
| Lives The sperm whale usually lives about one and a half times as long as the orca. | 30 to 50 years30 to 50 years2 | 60 years60 years3 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | fish such as salmon, and seals, depending on the pod | squid, octopus and fish |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | every ocean, from the icy poles to warm seas | deep waters of oceans around the world |
Which one? Orca or sperm whale
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the sperm whale 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/orca-vs-sperm-whale
Where these numbers come from
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Kenai Fjords National Park, checked 30 October 2026.
- NOAA Fisheries, checked 30 October 2026.