How fast do whales swim?

If there were Sea Animal Olympics, there would be several species swimming in the final heat. Whales are among the largest sea creatures, but are they also the fastest? More importantly, how fast do whales swim?

They wouldn’t get gold, silver, or bronze, but they could finish in the top 10. whales, dolphins and porpoises (all part of the whale group Cetaceans) have streamlined bodies, are mostly hairless and have strong caudal fins. Some are in the shape of a torpedo! The whale group is divided into two subgroups, baleen whales (the larger whales such as blue whales, fin whale and gray whale) and toothed whales (smaller whales such as dolphins, porpoises, and belugas). Let’s take a look at some of the fastest whales and see how they compare to some of the other fastest swimmers.

How fast do whales swim?

Whales can reach speeds of just over 20 miles per hour for extended periods. However, in extreme short bursts some species can travel more than 30 miles per hour! One of the reasons dolphins and smaller cetaceans can’t swim faster? Scientists have studied their speeds and found that a scientific phenomenon – known as cavitation – makes it extremely painful for dolphins to travel at more than 54 miles per hour. This provides a natural “upper limit” to the speeds of dolphins and other whale species for all but short bursts.

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To learn more about whale speeds, we break them down into toothed whales (which are generally smaller), and baleen whales.

What are the fastest toothed whales?

If you have to choose 3 whales to swim in the 800m freestyle, you might want to go with these toothed whales. Like human swimmers, these whales must breathe air so they surface for air 2-3 times per minute while swimming fast. They can hold their breath longer for deep dives, but for high speed distance swims they need extra oxygen for the cardio. Three of the fastest toothed whales are:

1. pilot whale: These whales are part of the dolphin family and are big, which resemble belugas or killer whales. They are dark gray, brown or gray and have a round head with a large melon. Their bodies are less streamlined than dolphins, yet they have powerful tails that allow them to propel them in a very large movement short bursts up to 47 mph! Pilot whales can travel at a speed of 20 miles per hour over longer ranges, which is still fast enough to chase fast prey! They live in groups of 15-30 of the same family and are very sociable and intelligent. Despite their intelligence, they have a reputation among large groups for stranding themselves, scientists still have no explanation for this behavior.
2. Common dolphin: the common dolphin has been seen traveling at speeds of about 35 miles per hour. As we noted above, dolphins are actually powerful enough swimmers to go faster than their top speeds. However, the pain of tiny bubbles forming underwater at high speeds (cavitation) prevents dolphins from going much faster than 35 mph.
3. Orca (Orca): orcas are also part of the dolphin family and can grow up to 32 ft in length and weigh 6 tons. They are the black and white whales you may know in aquariums and Sea World. Orcas have rows of large white teeth and they hunt together, sometimes in very sophisticated ways. They are known to sneak in seals floating on ice floats and creates a wave to repel them, leaving them vulnerable in the ocean. Orcas and dolphins have similar speeds. Dolphins tend to cruise at higher speeds of 3-7 mph, while killer whales’ cruising speed is slightly less, but if they need to quickly chase prey or escape, they can reach speeds of up to 50 mph!
4. tumbler: Dolphins have that streamlined body that looks like they would be fast. They can sustain high speeds for a long time. They can conserve energy and swim longer at faster speeds by using a technique called “porpoises,” where they swim close to the surface of the water and swim up and down in a wave-like pattern. Orcas and porpoises also use this technique. Dolphins have been recorded at speeds of 20 mph over long stretches, but can reach higher speeds, especially when riding the wave of passing ships, which they often do in large groups (or groups of dolphins).

What are the fastest baleen whales?

In the baleen whale division it would be hard to pick just one species, but these three would be some of the fastest. They are generally a bit slower than toothed whales, but with their massive size, watching an 80ft whale at 40mph pass your boat!

1. fin whale: The fin whaleIt is one of the fastest baleen whales and an aerial view of its long streamlined body shows what it looks like like a torpedo. It has a flattened head and smooth skin, unlike the covered barnacles humpback whale. One of the main factors that makes the fin whale so fast is that its caudal fin has strong muscles that are just as effective when it pulls up as it does when it pushes down, creating steady propulsion from behind. They can sustain speeds of 20-25 mph and find a burst of speed up to 47 mph if necessary.
2. Blue whale: Blue whales are the largest animal in the world and can reach lengths of 100ft! That’s about 100 yards long, so if they were in a 50 yards freestyle, their tail would still be half way when they crossed the finish line (that would be a really, really big pool, of course!). Blue whales can maintain similar speeds to fin whales and can have a speed bump of up to 28 mph. Blue whales are baleen whales and sieve the ocean for thousands of tiny krill. Their feeding speed is ab
   out 5-10 mph.
3. You are a whale: The sei whale can grow to 40-60 feet in length and is one of the fastest whales. They can also maintain speeds of 20-25 mph and can travel long distances. Most baleen whales are migratory and migrate from summer to winter areas via the same route. Their top speeds can reach up to 50 km/h (or 31 mph)!

What are the fastest sea creatures?

Now that we’ve looked at how fast whales can swim, let’s take a broader look at the oceans! If whales had to compete with other marine animals in an open category, they wouldn’t stand a chance of keeping up. Check out some of the fastest sea creatures:

1. Black Marlin: De black marlin is a type of sailfish that resembles a swordfish. If there were an ocean/land race with a cheetah, the black marlin would win. Cheetahs can reach speeds of 50-80 mph and the fastest black marlin was recorded at 82 mph!
2. sailfishSlightly smaller and slimmer than the black marlin: Sailfish have an extended sail like a dorsal fin that extends almost the length of their bodies. They use this to their advantage to reach swimming speeds of 110 km/h.
3. SwordfishSwordfish have a long “sword” protruding from their faces and a crescent shaped dorsal fin (they actually have two dorsal fins with the front one being much larger). Think of an average highway speed of 60 mph, can you imagine a swordfish swimming next to you at the same speed? Swordfish can swim at 60 mph. Those are some fast fish!