Discover the 8 Loudest Animals Underwater

The Earth is home to some pretty incredible animals capable of deafening sounds. A lion’s roar can reach 114 decibels, while an African cicada can be even louder! Animals use their sounds for a variety of reasons. Mating and protection are just a few.

But what are the noisiest animals underwater? How loud can animals even get under the surface of the water? Check out this list to discover the 8 loudest animals underwater. Some of these will definitely surprise you!

8. Water Boatman

The first animal on our list capable of incredible noise underwater is the water boatman. This animal is notable due to its size-to-sound ratio. The water boatman is capable of creating a noise that measures 99 dB. This makes this bug the loudest creature on Earth compared to its size. Interestingly enough, water boatman also produce their clicking noise using their sexual organs. They’re the only ones that use their sex organs to create mating noises on Earth!

7. Gulf Corvina

Another unexpected member of the list of the loudest animals underwater is the Gulf corvina. These incredible fish live in the Colorado River delta in the springtime and produce a noise that is downright deafening. Each fish individually produces a loud sound, but the impact of the schools of corvina is what’s absolutely incredible. Male corvina make a croak that, in a chorus, reaches a noise level of 150 decibels. That’s the noise level of a jet engine!

6. Bottlenose Dolphin

The bottlenose dolphin is the sixth-loudest animal underwater, producing noises that reach a sound level of 173 decibels. This sound level is louder than a firework! They can reach this sound level during their whistling, which is used for a variety of purposes. Bottlenose dolphins whistle to communicate various things, including location and potentially, emotional state. Scientists are still studying the implications of dolphin communication, but regardless of the meaning, these mammals are loud!

5. Blue Whale

Four out of eight of the animals on this list are whales. These giant animals are capable of some incredible noise! The fifth-loudest animal underwater is the blue whale, which can moan and groan at a noise level of 188 decibels. Like dolphins, the noises of blue whales are used to communicate with group members. They’re social and to stay on the same page as other members of their pods, blue whales make exceptionally loud noises.

4. Bowhead Whale

Another whale on this list is the bowhead whale, which is the fourth-loudest animal underwater. Bowhead whales can reach a noise level of 189 decibels, making these whales just slightly louder than blue whales. Bowhead whales have an interesting shape and the largest mouth of any whale in the ocean. Like the prior two underwater animals, bowhead whales are social and use their noise to communicate with one another.

3. Humpback Whale

The third-loudest animal underwater is the humpback whale. These are also some of the loudest whales in the ocean. Humpback whales can reach a noise level of 192 decibels. A rocket blasting off is around 190 decibels, so humpback whales are clearly pretty loud! Whales produce their noise at a low frequency, which enables the sound to travel very far. The sound of a whale can be heard 10,000 miles away!

2. Snapping Shrimp

The second-loudest underwater creature is another unexpected member of this list! It’s the snapping shrimp, and it’s only getting louder as climate change persists. Warmer oceans have allowed the snapping shrimp to create noises that reach 210 decibels. These shrimp, also known as pistol shrimp, create a snap with their claws that makes this incredible noise. The snap of the claw is used as protection, because the loud noise shocks their prey.

1. Sperm Whale

Finally, the loudest animal underwater is the sperm whale. These astonishing animals can click at a volume of 230 decibels. Incredibly, 220 decibels is loud enough to melt concrete just from the noise! Sperm whales, like the other whales on this list, are social and use their noise to communicate with one another. Their click is also important for locating prey. They are a truly incredible species!

Summary of the Loudest Animals Underwater

Clearly, there are some animals capable of incredible levels of noise! It’s hard to believe that a whale can produce a sound loud enough to melt concrete. Here’s a summary of the loudest animals underwater:

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/inusuke