---
title: "Bottlenose dolphin vs polar bear — size, weight and speed comp"
description: "Polar bear is 1.5× bottlenose dolphin on weight. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-polar-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Bottlenose dolphin vs Polar bear

**Bottlenose dolphin vs polar bear: Polar bear is larger on weight**

Polar bear is 1.5× bottlenose dolphin on weight.

A bottlenose dolphin and a polar bear can be compared on 4 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Bottlenose dolphin | Polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 150–650 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Length | 2–4 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Top speed | 35 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 30–60 yr | 20–32 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Polar bear is 1.5× bottlenose dolphin on weight.
- Bottlenose dolphin is somewhat greater than polar bear on length — about 1.1×.
- Polar bear is somewhat greater than bottlenose dolphin on top speed — about 1.1×.
- Bottlenose dolphin is 1.6× polar bear on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Polar bear: 150–700 kg
- Bottlenose dolphin: 150–650 kg

## Bottlenose dolphin

The dolphin most people picture, and the one most often kept in aquaria.

## Polar bear

The largest living land carnivore, classified as a marine mammal because it hunts from sea ice.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, bottlenose dolphin or polar bear?

Polar bear is 1.5× bottlenose dolphin on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do bottlenose dolphins and polar bears compare on length?

Bottlenose dolphin: 2–4 m. Polar bear: 1.8–3 m. Bottlenose dolphin is somewhat greater than polar bear on length — about 1.1×.

### How do bottlenose dolphins and polar bears compare on top speed?

Bottlenose dolphin: 35 km/h. Polar bear: 40 km/h. Polar bear is somewhat greater than bottlenose dolphin on top speed — about 1.1×.

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- [Great white shark vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/vs/great-white-shark-vs-polar-bear/)

## Sources

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)