gorilla vs sperm whale
The largest living primate; dominant males, called silverbacks, are roughly twice the mass of females. The largest toothed predator, diving to 2,000 m for squid and producing the loudest sound of any animal. On the measurements below, sperm whale leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.
The measurements
| gorilla | sperm whale | |
|---|---|---|
| Mass | 70–270 kg | 15–57 t |
| Length | — | 11–20.5 m |
| Height | 1.3–1.8 m | — |
| Bite force | 1,300 psi | — |
| Lifespan | 35–55 yr | 60–70 yr |
Where each one leads
- Mass: sperm whale is 250× heavier.
- Lifespan: sperm whale is 1.5× a longer life.
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 gorilla bigger than a sperm whale?
- sperm whale is heavier — 15–57 t against 70–270 kg.
- Who would win, a gorilla or a sperm whale?
- 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 gorilla weigh? Full figure and range
- How much does a sperm whale weigh? Full figure and range
- lion vs sperm whale Side by side
- leopard vs sperm whale Side by side
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- cheetah vs gorilla Side by side
- cheetah vs sperm whale Side by side
- cougar vs gorilla Side by side
- cougar vs sperm whale Side by side
- snow leopard vs sperm whale Side by side
- domestic cat vs gorilla Side by side
- domestic cat vs sperm whale Side by side
- grizzly bear vs sperm whale Side by side
- polar bear vs sperm whale Side by side
Sources
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (Public domain (US Government))
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place