---
title: "giant squid vs great hammerhead — size, speed and bite force"
description: "giant squid and great hammerhead compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encount"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-squid-vs-great-hammerhead/
site: "At One Place"
---

# giant squid vs great hammerhead

**giant squid vs great hammerhead: Evenly matched on the numbers**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A deep-sea squid with the largest eyes of any animal, about 27 cm across; it was not filmed alive until 2004. The largest hammerhead, whose broad head spreads its electroreceptors for finding buried rays. The measurements below split evenly, which is rarer than it sounds.

## The measurements

|  | giant squid | great hammerhead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 100–275 kg | 150–580 kg |
| Length | 8–13 m | 2.7–6.1 m |
| Lifespan | — | 20–44 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: great hammerhead is 1.1× heavier.
- Length: giant squid is 3.4× longer.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a giant squid bigger than a great hammerhead?

great hammerhead is heavier — 150–580 kg against 100–275 kg.

### Who would win, a giant squid or a great hammerhead?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a giant squid weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/giant-squid/)
- [How much does a great hammerhead weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/great-hammerhead/)
- [cheetah vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [cougar vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [domestic cat vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [domestic cat vs giant squid](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-giant-squid/)
- [gray wolf vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [coyote vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [African elephant vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [African elephant vs giant squid](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-giant-squid/)
- [blue whale vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/blue-whale-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [blue whale vs giant squid](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/blue-whale-vs-giant-squid/)
- [bottlenose dolphin vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [bottlenose dolphin vs giant squid](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-giant-squid/)

## Sources

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]