---
title: "great hammerhead vs sperm whale — size, speed and bite force"
description: "great hammerhead and sperm whale 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/great-hammerhead-vs-sperm-whale/
site: "At One Place"
---

# great hammerhead vs sperm whale

**great hammerhead vs sperm whale: sperm whale leads on 3 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest hammerhead, whose broad head spreads its electroreceptors for finding buried rays. 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

|  | great hammerhead | sperm whale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 150–580 kg | 15–57 t |
| Length | 2.7–6.1 m | 11–20.5 m |
| Lifespan | 20–44 yr | 60–70 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: sperm whale is 174× heavier.
- Length: sperm whale is 4.6× longer.
- Lifespan: sperm whale is 2.0× 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 great hammerhead bigger than a sperm whale?

sperm whale is heavier — 15–57 t against 150–580 kg.

### Who would win, a great hammerhead 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 great hammerhead weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/great-hammerhead/)
- [How much does a sperm whale weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/sperm-whale/)
- [lion vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [leopard vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [jaguar vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [cheetah vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [cheetah vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [cougar vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [cougar vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [snow leopard vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/snow-leopard-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [domestic cat vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [domestic cat vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [grizzly bear vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-sperm-whale/)
- [polar bear vs sperm whale](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-sperm-whale/)

## Sources

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