When it comes to the fastest marine animal, there are a variety of choices. You can go with the fastest fish or the fastest cetacean. Though let’s be honest, we all know that whales can’t beat sharks when it comes to speed.
It’s no secret that whales and sharks rule over the ocean. These giant sea creatures are known for their long lives and amazing intelligence, but did you know that these majestic mammals also happen to be some of the quickest swimmers in the sea? Well, they are! Find out which marine animal wins the title of “fastest marine animal” and why in this blog post.
The fastest marine animals
First, we’ll take a look at some of the fastest marine animals and how they compare to one another.
Sharks: The great white shark is one of the most famous ocean predators and also one of the quickest. They’re able to swim over 27 miles per hour!
Whales: It turns out whales are pretty speedy too. One species, called the North Pacific right whale can swim up to 18 miles per hour under average conditions.
Fish: Some fish, like swordfish and bluefin tuna, can reach speeds of 22 miles per hour. That’s not quite as fast as sharks or whales though.
Now that we know who some of the top contenders are for the fastest marine animal, let's find out what it takes to be crowned champion!
Fastest fish
If you’re looking for the fastest marine animal, you might be surprised to learn that it’s not a fish. In fact, the fastest animal in the ocean is actually a mammal. The gray whale can swim up to six meters per second!
This makes them twice as fast as the next highest swimming mammal, the humpback whale. They have a distinctive streamlined body and they can use their flippers to guide them through any obstacle in their way.
The gray whale is known for traveling long distances to find food and mates. This helps it maintain its place as one of the quickest marine animals around.
Fastest cetacean
The fastest cetacean, or marine mammal that lives underwater, is the killer whale. This particular mammal can swim as fast as 30 miles per hour. The killer whale’s speed and size allow it to chase down and eat other marine animals like sharks and tuna for lunch.
Killer whales are one of the biggest but also one of the swiftest creatures in the sea. They live in pods; groups of female family members who travel together with their offspring. They’re known for their intelligence, which is why they’re often trained by scientists for research purposes.
There are different types of killer whales, but the most well-known type is called an orca. An orca can be from 50 to 60 feet long from nose to tail and weigh up to 22 tons! These majestic mammals have a dorsal fin that runs along their back and a black saddle patch on each side of their body where their white coloring fades into a dark gray color.
One of the reasons orcas are so fast is because they have a streamlined shape which allows them to glide through the water more easily than other marine mammals who have bulky shapes that make it harder to move fast through the water. In addition,
The fastest marine animal on Earth
?
We’ve all heard of the fastest animal on Earth. But what about the fastest marine animal? That would be a shark.
The fastest shark in the world is a great white, which can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. Though this might seem impressive, they don’t come close to the speed of some other species in the sea.
Take humpback whales for instance, which can swim about 16-17 miles per hour over short distances. In fact, when it comes to sustained speeds, humpback whales are actually faster than sharks! It's no wonder they're known as one of the most intelligent mammals on Earth—they have skills when it comes to speed and endurance.
But when you take into account the top speed these marine animals attain over their lifetime, it turns out that sharks are actually better swimmers than whales! A great white can swim at about 25 mph over its entire life span because it never stops moving its tail. The equivalent speed for a humpback whale is about 18 mph (though this number will vary depending on age). So if you're looking for the fastest marine animal in terms of top speed, look no further than your friendly neighborhood shark!
Fastest sharks
Sharks are some of the most feared creatures in the ocean. Their razor-sharp teeth and aggressive nature make them terrifying, but they also happen to be some of the quickest marine animals on earth.
Though they can’t beat whales in terms of size, sharks are known for their speed. Some species of shark can swim through the water at speeds up to 35 miles per hour! That’s faster than an Olympic swimmer!
Sharks have a special type of muscle that helps them excel in speed. These muscles are called “myomeres” and they're found in the part of the body where the spine meets the tail fin. These myomeres allow sharks to move from side to side quickly during a hunt without expending much energy.
Fastest whales
It’s not a surprise to us that whales are some of the fastest marine animals in the sea. Of course, there are different types of whales and some may be faster than others.
- Which whale is the fastest?
Killer whales, or orcas, are some of the fastest marine mammals in the world. These aquatic mammals can swim up to speeds of 55 km/h (35 mph) and they have a range of 400 kilometers (250 miles).
In addition to being one of the quickest ocean creatures, killer whales also have a long life span. They can live for more than 50 years!
- Who else is included on this list?
Beluga whales also happen to be one of the fastest marine mammals in the world. These cetaceans can swim up to speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph). Beluga whales have been known for their intelligence and they’ve been seen passing through large schools of fish without making a sound!
Bottlenose dolphins also happen to be on this list. Bottlenose dolphins have a fast swimming speed of 25 km/h (16 mph), but this doesn’t mean that they’re all that intelligent. In fact, bott
Conclusion
The fastest marine animal on Earth is the peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph). The fastest fish is the marlin, which can travel up to 97 km/h (60 mph) and the fastest cetacean is the killer whale, which can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h (35 mph). The fastest sharks include the blue shark and white shark, which can travel up to 50 km/h (30 mph). The fastest whales include the fin whale and humpback whale, which can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h (30 mph).
The fastest marine animal on Earth is the peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph). The fastest fish is the marlin, which can travel up to 97 km/h (60 mph) and the fastest cetacean is the killer whale, which can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h (35 mph). The fastest sharks include the blue shark and white shark, which can travel up to 50 km/h (30 mph). The fastest whales include the fin whale and humpback whale, which can reach speeds of up to 48 km/
