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When we talk about epic battles between animals, we often think lions taking an incredibly powerful elephant, or a big cat adopting a crocodile. However, possibly one of the most surprising battles is taking place deep in the heart of the ocean. Unbelievable, that fight is a sperm whale vs giant squid.
So, what makes this fight so unusual? Well, even though they share the same habitat, that’s really as far as the similarities go. These animals are completely different. There is a huge difference in weight, one can bite and the other cannot, and they hunt in different ways. Despite this, it turns out to be one of the most unusual and fascinating battles in depth.
Compare giant squid to sperm whale
Sperm whales are relatively peaceful animals, preferring to spend much of their time deep underwater in search of food. Although giant squids are ambush predators, they too rarely come into contact with humans and stay deep underwater.
Sperm whales are much larger than giant squids and have much larger teeth. Surely that should give them a huge advantage right away? Well, let’s compare the sperm whale and the giant squid so that we can find out how it has advantage and would win in a fight.
Check out the chart below to learn some of the key differences.
| giant squid | Sperm whale | |
| Measure | 30 to 40 feet tall Up to 600 pounds |
60 to 70 feet long Up to £90,000 |
| Habitat | In the twilight zone (depths between 1,000 and 2,000 feet) in most oceans | Deep oceans around the world |
| Teeth | Sharp beak and tongue covered with tiny, razor-sharp teeth | 20 to 26 teeth on each side of the lower jaw |
| eating pattern | Fish, shrimp, other squids | Fish, sharks, to skate, calamari |
| Predators | sperm whalespilot whales, sleeper sharks | Orcaspilot whales, false killer whales |
| Speed | Rated up to 25 mph | Bursts up to 23 mph |
| Hunting Tactics | Grabs with two tentacles and snaps with their suction cups | Uses echolocation to find their prey, then sucks the prey in and swallows it whole |
| Lifespan | About 5 years | About 70 years |
The 6 main differences between sperm whales and giant squids
Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid: Size (H3)
Sperm whales are huge whales, growing to between 60 and 70 feet in length, with males being larger than females. Giant squids are the second largest squid in the world (only colossal squid are larger) and reach a length of between 30 and 40 feet, including their tentacles. However, despite their incredible height, there is a huge difference in weight. Giant squids only reach a maximum of 600 pounds, while sperm whales weigh much more than 90,000 pounds. Advantage: sperm whale
Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid: Appearance
Sperm whales are large whales and much of their size is taken up by their huge heads, which can be as much as a third of their entire length. They are dark gray and have small fins. Their dorsal fins are small and often rounded, and their caudal fin is triangular in shape. They are particularly unusual in that their blowhole is not centrally located on their head, but is instead offset to the left.
Giant squids have large eyes, a beak, eight arms and two tentacles. Their tentacles are the largest of all squid and are even longer than those of the colossal squid. Each arm and tentacle is covered with hundreds of suction cups lined with extremely sharp rings. They attach these suckers to their prey to prevent them from escaping. Advantage: giant squid
Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid: Teeth
Sperm whales have between 20 and 26 teeth on each side of their lower jaws. However, they do not have upper teeth because they rarely go below their gum line. Instead, their lower teeth fit neatly into the sockets in their upper jaws. This means that they cannot bite their prey and instead rely on suction to suck them into their mouths.
Giant squids have sharp parrot-like beaks and a tongue with rows of small, razor-sharp teeth on each side. They use their beaks and teeth to bite their prey into smaller pieces that they can swallow. Advantage: giant squid
Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid: Diet
The diet of giant squids mainly consists of: fish, shrimp, and others squids. Cannibalism is common among giant squids and they often feast on other giant squids.
Sperm whales eat between 3 and 3.5 percent of their own body weight per day. Their diet consists of deep sea fish, sharks, to skate, and calamari, and a popular meal for sperm whales is actually giant squid. Advantage: sperm whale
Sperm Whale vs. Giant Squid: Hunting Tactics
Sperm whales regularly dive into some of the deepest depths of the ocean in search of food. Very little light penetrates the deepest parts of the ocean, so sperm whales rely on echolocation to find their prey. As we mentioned above, despite having teeth, sperm whales cannot bite their prey. Instead, they rely on suction to suck their prey into their mouths so they can swallow it whole.
Giant squids are ambush predators, waiting for their prey to reach it. Once their prey is close enough, the giant squid will jump out and grab them with their two tentacles. After grabbing their prey, they cling to the suction cups on their arms, preventing them from escaping. Advantage: giant squid
Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid: Predators
Sperm whales have only a few predators. These are orcas, pilot
whales and false killer whales, although male sperm whales are so large that they don’t have many predators. The predators of giant squids are: sleeper sharks, pilot whales and sperm whales.
Who would win in a fight between a sperm whale and a giant squid?
Since giant squids are on the menu for sperm whales, sperm whales often win battles against giant squids. Giant squids don’t go down easily, however, and put up a valiant battle against the much larger and heavier sperm whale. This is evidenced by the scars commonly seen on sperm whales from the tentacles of giant squids. Giant squid attach their suction cups to the sperm whales, leaving scars in the form of circular rings. These scars are usually seen on the heads of sperm whales, showing that giant squids have not been an easy meal for the sperm whale. Not only that, but the beaks of giant squids (which are indigestible) have been found in the stomachs of sperm whales.
Since sperm whales use suction to draw their prey into their mouths, rather than bite and knock them out, it can be assumed that giant squids use their arms and tentacles to try and avoid this and save themselves. It must be quite difficult for a sperm whale to suck something 12 meters long in its mouth! But in the end, the sperm whale’s sheer size and strength gives it the greatest advantage and in the end it wins the fight.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) (H2)
How deep can sperm whales dive?
Sperm whales can dive to depths of about 10,000 feet and stay underwater for up to 90 minutes before having to surface to breathe again.
Are sperm whales dangerous to humans?
No, sperm whales are generally not dangerous to humans. They prefer to spend their time in deep water in search of food.
Are giant squids dangerous to humans?
While there are legendary tales of giant squid attacking ships and sailors, the truth is that they are not considered dangerous to humans. Instead, they spend their lives in deep water well below ships or divers. That’s not to say they aren’t technically capable of harming people. However, Humboldt squid are considered the most dangerous squid, with several reports of attacking and eating divers.
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