Meet the 7 Heaviest Whales That Rule the Oceans

Blue Whale

Blue whales are colossal marine mammals with long, streamlined bodies that are predominantly blue-gray in color. They have a distinctive mottled appearance caused by light-colored spots on their skin

Fin Whale

The second-largest whales are known as fin whales, and they are distinguished by having a pronounced ridge running the length of their backs behind the dorsal fin. Their lower jaw is asymmetrically colored, with the left side being dark and the right side being white.

Sperm Whale

Sperm whales have a large, square-shaped head, and males are known for their prominent, forward-facing teeth. They are deep-diving whales that hunt squid in the ocean's depths

Humpback Whale

The pectoral fins of humpback whales are renowned for being exceptionally long—up to one-third of the whale's body length. They are acrobatic whales that frequently slap and breach the water with their tails and fins.

Bowhead Whale

Bowhead whales have a large, robust body and a massive, bow-shaped head. They are well-adapted to life in Arctic waters, where they use their large, bowed mouth to break through ice to breathe

Gray Whale

Gray whales are known for their mottled appearance, with patches of barnacles and whale lice on their skin. They undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling between their feeding grounds in the Arctic and breeding grounds in the lagoons of Baja California

Right Whale

The absence of a dorsal fin and their big, broad heads are characteristics of right whales. They swim with their mouths open to consume plankton and other small marine organisms. They are filter feeders.