Head to head
Whale Shark vs Blue Whale
These are the two largest animals in the ocean, and they are often confused because both are enormous and both filter tiny food out of seawater. But one is a fish and the other is a mammal, and they are not remotely the same size.
| Whale Shark | Blue Whale | |
|---|---|---|
| Animal type | Fish (shark) | Mammal (baleen whale) |
| Length | 8–12 m average; ~18–20 m max | 24–30 m |
| Weight | Up to ~20 tonnes | 100–190 tonnes |
| Breathing | Gills | Lungs — surfaces to breathe |
| Feeding | Filters plankton through gill pads | Lunges and filters krill through baleen |
| Daily food | A few hundred kg of plankton | Up to 3,600 kg of krill |
| Record it holds | Largest fish alive | Largest animal ever |
| Conservation status | Endangered | Endangered (recovering) |
Whale Shark vs Blue Whale: common questions
Is a whale shark bigger than a blue whale?
No. The blue whale is about three times heavier and considerably longer. The whale shark is the largest fish, but the blue whale is the largest animal of any kind, living or extinct.
Is a whale shark a whale?
No — it is a shark, which is a fish. It is called a "whale" shark only because of its size and its filter-feeding habit. The blue whale is a true whale, a mammal.
Do whale sharks and blue whales eat the same food?
Almost. Both are filter feeders that live on tiny drifting animals — mostly krill and plankton. The whale shark also takes fish eggs and small fish, and it filters continuously, while the blue whale takes huge single mouthfuls in lunges.