Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Who Will Win The Battle?
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The megalodon-blue whale showdown is pretty interesting on paper, but the creatures were separated by millions of years. This is probably for the best.
The megalodon was a giant shark that went extinct 3 million years ago, but we don't know why. The fossil record shows that the megalodon was an apex predator. By looking at evidence of the creature's existence, including possible descendants today, scientists can learn about the creature's deadly potential.
The blue whale was probably the largest creature that ever lived, and certainly the largest living creature today. Does that mean it could wipe out the megalodon?
To get to the bottom of this question, we'll look at the available evidence, including the physical and psychological characteristics of these creatures, to see how they measure up. We'll then imagine a megalodon and a blue whale meeting and deciding the ocean isn't big enough for either of them.
Comparing the Megalodon and the Blue Whale
© AZ-Animals.com
| Megalodon | blue whale | |
| size | Weight: 50 tons Length: Over 67 feet | Weight: 100-110 tons Length: 100 feet or more |
| speed and movement type | – 11 mph – Ups and downs, side to side movements of body and tail for propulsion |
-5 mph, short bursts up to 20 mph – Move the tail up and down for propulsion and the fins for steering |
| Bite Force and Teeth | –41,000lbf bite force 5 rows – 250 teeth Approximately 7" teeth |
– Lacks bite force; has baleen instead of teeth. |
| the senses | – Highly tuned sense of smell – Excellent visuals, especially in low light – Hearing strong enough to hear splashing prey – Lorenzini's ampulla helps in detecting living things. |
– Poor or absent sense of smell – Can see 35 feet of water – Keen sense of hearing: they can hear very low frequencies and call other whales miles away |
| defense | – Huge size -speed |
-Huge body size – swimming speed – Thick blubber protection |
| offensive ability | – Jaws over 6.5 feet in diameter – 250 teeth, each about 7 inches long – High swimming speed | – Tail wagging |
| predatory behavior | -Stealth predators that ambush their prey | – Skim feeding or lunge feeding |
Key Factors in Megalodon vs. Blue Whale Battle
©Esteban De Armas/Shutterstock.com
Key Differences Between Megalodon and Blue Whale
There are some differences between the blue whale and the megalodon. First off, blue whales are much bigger than megalodons. The largest blue whale ever recorded weighed 418,878 pounds (over 200 tons), while the average blue whale weighed over 100 tons. Additionally, megalodons are sexually dimorphic, meaning females are much larger than males.
Second, blue whales are peaceful filter-feeding omnivores, but megalodons are carnivores as they roam the oceans. Blue whales feed on a large number of tiny animals such as krill, while megalodon sharks are top predators.
Plus, these gigantic creatures come from vastly different backgrounds. Megalodon is related to modern sharks, while blue whales are mammalian baleen whales. During the time the megalodon existed, it ate more medium-sized whales, and no whales as large as blue whales or other modern baleen whales existed.
However, many still can't help but wonder whether a megalodon-sized shark would be a successful predator against blue whales.
Every battle between two creatures comes down to a few factors that determine the outcome. When studying the megalodon and blue whale fights, we'll look at physical characteristics and how they attack and defend against other enemies.
Using these insights, we can determine which creature is most likely to win a fight with another.
Physical Properties of Megalodon vs Blue Whale
In many cases, larger, faster, and better equipped creatures win each other's fights. Here's how the megalodon and blue whale compare to each other.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Size
The blue whale is the largest living thing today, it is much bigger than any megalodon. Blue whales can grow to over 100 feet and weigh over 110 tons. In short, a mammal of unparalleled sheer size.
Most estimates of the megalodon put the upper body length at around 50 feet and 50 tons. Some larger estimates do exist (putting Megalodon as long as 67 feet, well over 50 tons), but the truth is that Megalodon was smaller than a blue whale.
In terms of size, blue whales have the upper hand.
©Atomic Roderick/Shutterstock.com
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Speed and Movement
We can only estimate the megalodon's speed by looking at how similar sharks move today. According to the best available data, the megalodon moves through the water at about 11 miles per hour, which is pretty fast considering its size. They propel themselves by moving their tail and body from side to side.
Blue whales use their tails to bob up and down to cruise at 5 miles per hour. A blue whale can move at a dizzying 20 mph when it's trying to pounce and grab food or get away from a potential threat.
The speed of the blue whale can surpass that of the megalodon, and it has an advantage in speed.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Bite Force and Teeth
Blue whales have no real teeth. They are skimmer feeders, using baleen filters to sift out prey. So they can't really compete with the megalodon.
In fact, throughout the history of the world, few creatures have come close to rivaling the megalodon for their enormous bite force. They have a bite force of 41,000 lbf and 250 teeth that are 6-7 inches long. They have one of the strongest bites ever recorded, and it comes from an extremely aggressive species.
Megalodon has advantages in bite force and teeth.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: The Senses
The megalodon is thought to have senses similar to the great white shark. This means they have an amazing sense of smell and can easily catch the scent of prey in the water. They have excellent vision at close range and are effective in low light conditions. They also have good hearing and have electronic sensing systems in their bodies.
Blue whales can't compete with them in terms of senses, only hearing is above average. Their eyesight and sense of smell are poor.
Megalodon also has a sensory advantage.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Defense
Blue whales have huge bodies and most predators don't want to try to attack blue whales because they are afraid of what the huge body will do to them. This is a whale's best defense, along with a thick layer of blubber protecting vital areas and their very fast burst speed.
Megalodons are large and agile, but their defenses are not strong.
Blue whales have better physical defenses than megalodons.
Megalodon Shark vs. Blue Whale
© ilikeyellow/Shutterstock.com
Great physical strength is helpful, but combat comes down to the experience of using your body to inflict damage on others. Let's see how these creatures measure up.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Offensive Capabilities
Blue whales have almost no attack power against predators. They can use their speed to escape and attack other enemies with their tails, if they hit an enemy they will be stunned or killed.
With their huge jaws, deadly bite and honed killing instincts, megalodons can go after most prey.
Megalodon is much more aggressive.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale: Predation Behavior
When it comes to hunting for food, the megalodon is thought to be similar to the great white shark. They'll use covert ambushes to sneak up on some enemies, or simply use their high swimming speed to catch and beat them up.
Blue whales don't cause trouble as often; they're more likely to filter feed.
Megalodon's predation behavior is much better.
Megalodon vs Blue Whale Who will win?
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The megalodon would win the battle with the blue whale for a number of reasons. In some cases, we must consider a recent case in which a shark was seen chasing and killing a humpback whale, a creature several times their size.
They attack, deal massive damage, and dodge any possible counterattacks.
That might be the approach the megalodon takes on blue whales, but it would be a tall order. The shark would attack first, probably before the blue whale spotted the creature. It will immediately notice the presence of the megalodon as it removes a large piece from the whale's body.
From then on, the megalodon only needed to stay away from the blue whale's tail, taking an occasional bite and waiting for the giant creature to tire. Sure, a blue whale could deliver a coup de grace and disorient a megalodon, then run away, but in a tit-for-tat fight, they stand no chance.
A more likely scenario is that, as the blue whales became more and more exhausted, the sharks would have been struck a few times before either drowning or succumbing to massive blood loss over time.
Either way, the Megalodon wins.
What can beat a megalodon?
©Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock.com
While there may not be any creatures in our oceans that can match today's megalodon, millions of years ago the Earth and its oceans were teeming with giants. Livyatan, a distant relative of the sperm whale, was a giant predator that often competed with the megalodon at the time. These giant apex predators can grow to an astonishing 57 feet long and weigh an incredible 62.8 tons. On top of that, the livyatan is equipped with teeth each 1 foot long that can inflict serious damage on the megalodon. These whales are believed to share echolocation features with their modern ancestors. This means they will be able to use electromagnetic signals in the water to locate prey without having to perceive them with their other senses. Megalodon is also adept at using its senses to dominate its environment, but despite this, the megalodon's mass, speed, and power are too great for the shark to keep up with.
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