There are some pretty large creatures lurking in the ocean waters, and we don’t even know about a quarter of them! Sure, we all know about the general giants like whales and giant squid, but there are some surprising creatures in the deep blue sea that would knock your socks off!
1. Colossal Squid
Starting with a bang, this squid can grow to be an incredible 46 feet (including tentacles) and weigh 1,100–1,500 lbs. Their eyes are a scary 10 inches wide as they need to scan the ocean for the next snack they can trap in their tentacles. They can hunt quite deep in the sea and reach depths of 1,000–2,200 meters in search of their next meal, and they slightly glow in the dark, too!
2. Giant Clams
When you think about clams, they’re usually small enough to hold in your hands, right? Well, these giant clams bring a whole new definition of being huge as they grow 4 feet wide and weigh 500 lbs. These clams anchor themselves to coral reefs, and their mantles glow in the deep waters.
3. Hoodwinker Sunfish
These fish might not be the largest in the ocean, but they are chubby enough to make this list. They grow to be around 7.9 feet long, but they weigh a remarkable 4,000 lbs. They have a flat body and fins that seem way too small for their bodies, but they seem to manage pretty well even though they are awkward swimmers.
4. Blue Whale
It’s only fair to have at least one whale species on this list; they are the largest animals in the ocean. It’s hard to comprehend just how big these creatures are but to give you a rough idea, they were twice the size of a T-Rex, and their hearts were the size of a car. They can grow to be an incredible 100 feet long and weigh over 200 tons! Sadly, these remarkable creatures are endangered due to commercial whaling, but thanks to whaling bans, they have slowly started recovering.
5. Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
These ghostly creatures drift through the ocean without a care in the world, blissfully unaware that they hold the title of the longest animal in the world. With tentacles reaching a length of 120 feet, they sure are a sight to be seen. They can be found in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, and they use their venomous barbs to catch prey that comes their way.
6. Basking Shark
These sharks have pretty strange-looking mouths and are on this list for a reason. They can grow to be an incredible 26 feet long and weigh 10,200 lbs. These sharks are filter feeders found in temperate and sub-Arctic seas. They cruise the ocean with their mouths open and catch up with as many plankton and small fish as possible. They might seem intimidating, but they are harmless to humans.
7. Greenland Shark
These rare sharks are among the most interesting, and they grow to be pretty old, too. On average, they live to be around 250 years old, but some have lived as long as 500 years, which is pretty impressive. They can grow to be around 21 feet and weigh 2,200 lbs. Their flesh is toxic to humans due to high levels of trimethylamine oxide.
8. Giant Manta Ray
These giant creatures can be found in tropical waters. They grow to be 23 feet wide and weigh 6,600 lbs. These gentle giants don’t have a venomous tail spine and feed on plankton using cephalic fins that funnel water into their mouths. They can often be found breaching the water and gliding through the ocean without a care.
9. Megamouth Shark
These large deep-water sharks can grow to be up to 18 feet long and weigh around 2,600 lbs. They can live up to 15,000 feet below the surface of the ocean and are quite hard to spot. Their broad, flat heads and tiny teeth suggest they strain plankton, though their elusive nature leaves much unknown.
10. Whale Shark
These beautiful fish can grow to be around 61.7 feet long and weigh 20.6–25 tons. These gentle giants prefer to snack on plankton and small fish and are virtually harmless to humans, making them one of the best sightings while diving. They have distinctive white spots and move extremely slowly, floating through the ocean at only 3mph.
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