Scale Explorer

Animals

How big is a sperm whale?

Sperm whale · Adult male · Physeter macrocephalus

Length (adult male)
≈ 16 m 52 ft approx.
Length (adult female)
≈ 12 m 40 ft approx.
Mass (adult male)
≈ 41 t 45 US tons approx.
Mass (adult female)
≈ 14 t 15 US tons approx.
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Human, African lion, Car, Sperm whale drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. African lion: shoulder height 1.1–1.2 m. Car: length 4.915 m. Sperm whale: length (adult male) ≈ 16 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mAfrican lion: 1.1–1.2 mCar: 4.915 mSperm whale: ≈ 16 mSperm whale≈ 16 mHuman1.61–1.75 mAfrican lion1.1–1.2 mCar4.915 m
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Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Length (adult male) ≈ 16 m ≈ 52 ft Males reach physical maturity at around 50 years old, when they are approximately 52 ft long. Approximate [1]
Length (adult female) ≈ 12 m ≈ 40 ft Adult female length from NOAA's species summary. Approximate [1]
Mass (adult male) ≈ 41 t ≈ 45 US tons NOAA gives weight as '15 tons (females) to 45 tons (males)'. Approximate [1]
Mass (adult female) ≈ 14 t ≈ 15 US tons Adult female weight from NOAA's species summary. Approximate [1]

About the sperm whale

The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and one of the most widely distributed marine mammals. NOAA Fisheries lists males at about 52 ft long and 45 tons, roughly three times the weight of females, which reach about 40 ft and 15 tons. Sperm whales hunt squid, sharks, skates and fish on deep dives that routinely reach 2,000 ft.

  • Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales and have one of the widest global distributions of any marine mammal. [1]
  • Their deep feeding dives routinely reach 2,000 ft and can last 45 minutes. [1]
  • For their first 10 years males are only slightly larger than females, but they keep growing substantially into their 30s. [1]
  • Females reach sexual maturity at about 9 years old, when roughly 29 ft long. Sperm whales can live up to 60 years. [1]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 9.4 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Sperm whale · length (adult male)
  • ≈ 490 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Sperm whale · mass (adult male)
  • ≈ 3.2 × Car · length lined up end to end match the Sperm whale · length (adult male)
  • ≈ 25 × Car · curb weight on the scales weigh as much as Sperm whale · mass (adult male)

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 9.4× A sperm whale is about 9.4 times as long as an average adult is tall. See side by side
  • 3.2× A sperm whale is about 3.2 times as long as a mid-size car. See side by side
  • 1.3× A sperm whale is about 1.3 times as long as a city bus. See side by side
  • 1.3× A sperm whale is about 1.3 times as long as a Brachiosaurus is tall. See side by side
  • 1/1.5 A tennis court is about 1.5 times as long as a sperm whale. See side by side
  • 1/2.5 A Boeing 737 is about 2.5 times as long as a sperm whale. See side by side

Factors compare the length (adult male) of a sperm whale with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • NOAA writes the weights only as 'tons' without saying which ton; they are stored as US short tons (2,000 lb) because NOAA is a US agency using US customary units.
  • NOAA gives a single figure per sex rather than a range or maximum.

Sources

  1. NOAA Fisheries, Sperm Whale. Accessed 25 September 2026.

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