The sea offers an almost unlimited variety of animal species. But what are the largest sea creatures on our planet? In our photo gallery we provide information about the top 5.
Strictly speaking, the yellow hair jellyfish aka stinging jellyfish is the largest sea creature. Although their umbrella is “only” up to one meter in diameter, their marginal tentacles can be up to 36 meters long. The blue whale still takes first place in our picture gallery, as it is not only long, but also huge overall. The blue whale is not only the largest sea creature, but also the largest animal in the world. The marine mammal is up to 33.6 meters long and weighs a maximum of 200 tons.
Giant fish and worms 55 meters long
In second place and by a huge margin is the whale shark, the largest fish in the world. The longest measured animal was 13.7 meters. According to reports and alleged sightings, the animals, which feed on plankton and other microorganisms, even reach a length of up to 20 meters. However, this has not yet been officially confirmed. The sea giant is absolutely harmless to humans. Unfortunately, however, the friendly giant is one of the most endangered species in the world and is on the Red List.
Far more terrifying in appearance than blue whales or whale sharks are giant squid, often mistakenly referred to as giant squid. The squid, which belongs to the squid family and lives at depths of up to 1,000 meters, can grow up to 13 meters long with their tentacles. The shell of the mollusk, i.e. the actual body, measures a maximum of five meters. It used to be said that sea creatures could pull down entire sailing ships.
Also impressive is a special species of line worm, the carnivorous sea dweller that lives on the seabed and reaches an average length of five to ten meters. According to tradition, a specimen was discovered in 1864 that was said to be 55 meters long. Finally, fifth place among the largest sea creatures goes to the dreaded great white shark. The females can reach a length of up to eight meters, while the males only reach five meters.
Contrary to what the legendary horror film “Jaws” suggests, people are usually not on their menu. Instead, they prefer to feast on sea lions and seals. Statistically, it is very unlikely that you will die from a shark attack. On average, only five people are killed by sharks per year – for comparison: horses kill around 20 people annually, cows even 22 and jellyfish 40 people.
