Whales are the largest animals alive. Although considered slow-moving giants, they can swim really fast if needed. Do you know how fast whales can swim?
One key to their success is their absolutely extraordinary hydrodynamics. Their torpedo-like shape helps these animals move efficiently underwater. The following article provides a detailed answer to the present question based on a scientific approach.
Characteristics That Impact A Whale’s Swimming Speed
Whales belong to the order Cetacea. These marine mammals adapt fully to life in the water. Defining characteristics include: “a streamlined body, flattened foreflippers, no hindlimbs, boneless tail flukes, an elongated skull, nasal openings on the top of the head, a dorsal fin or ridge, a thick layer of blubber and internal reproductive organs” (Carwardine, 2020).
Currently, 2 extant groups (sub-orders) of cetaceans exist: Odontoceti (toothed whales) and Mysticeti (baleen whales).
Toothed whales, as the name implies, have teeth in their jaws and hunt for their food. On the other hand, baleen whales have dense baleen plates rather than teeth and are filter feeders.
Both cetacean groups share a few essential characteristics that enable their excellent swimming capacity. Evolution turned their forelimbs into flippers and eliminated their hindlimbs to improve hydrodynamics. Additionally, their hairless skin minimizes drag. Finally, fused neck vertebrae facilitate high-speed movement.
How Fast Can Whales Swim
So, given all this, how fast can whales actually swim? The truth is, it depends. However, some sources report that whales reach speeds of 60 km/h! This means they can swim 6 times faster than Olympic record-holder Michael Phelps and even faster than Usain Bolt’s top land speed!
The specific speeds at which whales can swim depend on their particular activity. When traveling long distances (e.g., migrating), they move at a slower, more efficient speed to conserve energy while covering the longest possible distance.
On the other hand, whales are also capable of short, high-speed bursts, for instance, when trying to catch certain prey items or when breaching. However, cetaceans resort to such high-speed movements only when strictly necessary or when in top physical condition, as, given their size, these bursts consume tremendous amounts of energy. So, let’s see, using some examples of species, how fast whales can swim.
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Fastest Baleen Whales
- Sei whale: Literature suggests this species can reach up to 60 km/h in high-speed bursts! Most sources, however, point to a more conservative estimate of 55 km/h (which is still incredibly fast), with a cruising speed of up to 25 km/h. These speeds allow this whale to outpace any potential predators, such as killer whales!
- Blue whale: The largest animal to have ever lived, this species can reach speeds of 35 km/h, with literature even proposing that blue whales can attain bursts of up to 50 km/h! On the other hand, they usually cruise at 3-6 km/h, though they can sustain 20 km/h.
- Fin whale: This species can reach bursts of speed of around 37-45 km/h! Its streamlined body enables cruising speeds of 30 km/h, likely the fastest sustained pace among baleen whales.
Fastest Toothed Whales
Unlike baleen whales, which filter-feed on large, dense clusters of small prey, such as krill, toothed whales hunt their food, typically one prey item at a time. To complete this, they also need to reach high speeds and exhibit excellent underwater maneuverability.
- Common dolphin: This relatively small cetacean can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h in short bursts! It is one of the most commonly studied marine mammal species, and the literature suggests that these animals cruise at speeds of 6-20 km/h.
- Killer whale: The apex predator of the ocean, this species of the dolphin family can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h! Its anatomy truly enables it to hunt. Although they travel at 5-10 km/h, these relentless animals can reach 45 km/h when chasing prey.
- Dall’s porpoise: A keen bowrider, this animal can attain bursts of around 55 km/h, with sustained speeds of up to 20 km/h when riding the pressure waves formed by boats.
Whales’ Maximum Swimming Speed Compared With Other Marine Animals
Many people assume fish adapt better to high speeds because they evolved entirely underwater. Although non-scientific articles claim fish outrun whales, readers should interpret this idea cautiously. As a matter of fact, there is a theoretical upper limit for marine animal speeds due to a phenomenon known as cavitation.
The literature suggests that speeds above 55 km/h can cause vapor bubbles to form, which, upon collapse, can cause long-lasting damage to animal fins. This reasoning might explain why literature reporting cetacean speeds of over 55 km/h is so scarce, and the sei whale and common dolphin’s reported speeds of up to 60 km/h might be exceptional and uncommon, with potential risks for these animals.
That said, early records (ca. 1940s-1960s) claim that billfish, for instance, reach very high speeds—potentially over 100 km/h. This contradicts modern theoretical evidence and the most recent speed measurements for these (and other) fish species, which do not exceed 55 km/h. Regardless, the only clear thing is that current evidence on this topic can be contradictory and yet inconclusive!
In summary, contrary to popular belief, it might be possible that cetaceans are not far behind other marine species about their swimming prowess!
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Conclusion
In conclusion, science shows us that it can be rather challenging to crown the fastest whale, let alone the fastest marine animal. Newer studies contradict older data and methodologies. Consequently, researchers struggle to reach a consensus.
Regardless, there is one thing we can be sure of: whales have bodies built for underwater movement. Amazingly, you can see every cetacean in this article here in the Azores, except the Dall’s porpoise! Now you know how fast whales can swim!
If you would like to learn more about how to observe these beautiful cetacean species in the Azores, join Futurismo on your next vacation. We will be glad to welcome you and introduce you to these magnificent creatures.
References
- Berta, A. (Ed.). (2015). Whales, dolphins, and porpoises: A natural history and species guide. University of Chicago Press.
- Block, B. A., Booth, D., & Carey, F. G. (1992). Direct measurement of swimming speeds and depth of blue marlin. Journal of Experimental Biology, 166(1), 267-284.
- Bush, N. (2007). Spatio-temporal Comparisons Between Acoustic and Visual Detection of the Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) in the St. George’s Channel, in Relation to Environmental Features (Doctoral dissertation, University of Wales Bangor).
- Carwardine, M. (2019). Handbook of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- NOAA. (n.d.). Dall’s Porpoise. (n.d.). NOAA. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/dalls-porpoise.
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- Iosilevskii, G., & Weihs, D. (2008). Speed limits on the swimming of fish and cetaceans. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 5(20), 329-338.
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- Segre, P. S., Potvin, J., Cade, D. E., Calambokidis, J., Di Clemente, J., Fish, F. E., … & Goldbogen, J. A. (2020). Energetic and physical limitations on the breaching performance of large whales. Elife, 9, e51760.
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