Aquatic life is very vast as oceans have a lot of organisms and vegetation. Many unexplored regions may contain unidentified animals as well.
Although, whales and sharks are some of the parts of aquatic animals that are considered dangerous. While whales and sharks are very different from each other, but people tend to take them as similar aquatic animals.
Key Takeaways
- Whales are mammals with lungs for breathing, while sharks are fish with gills.
- Sharks have a cartilage skeleton, whereas whales have a bone skeleton.
- Whales give birth to live young, whereas sharks reproduce through various methods, including laying eggs and live birth.
Whale vs Shark
The difference between whales and sharks is that whales give birth to young ones, while sharks lay eggs. Secondly, whales weigh more than 100 tons, while sharks weigh a little over 2 tons. Thirdly, whales eat plankton and krill, but they also sometimes feed on squid and small fish. Meanwhile, sharks feed on fishes and all marine animals. Fourthly, Whales produces certain sounds to communicate with each other, while shark does not have such communication ability. Lastly, some types of whales are considered to be more friendly towards human beings, while sharks are not all friendly.
Whales are also marine animals that lay eggs. Usually, the full-grown whales weigh more than 100 tons. However, there are different types of whales so it may vary.
They eat plankton and krill, however, they also feed on small fishes and squid. Moreover, they even produce sounds to communicate with each other. And they are considered to be friendly with human beings.
Sharks are marine animals that give birth to their young ones. Usually, the full-grown sharks weigh a little bit over 2 tons. However, there are different types of sharks so it may vary.
They eat small fishes and every marine animal. Moreover, they don’t produce sounds to communicate with each other. And they are considered dangerous.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | Whale | Shark |
|---|---|---|
| Reproduce | Whales give birth to young ones. | Sharks lay eggs. |
| Weight | Whales weigh more than 100 tons. | Sharks weigh a little over 2 tons. |
| Food | Whales eat plankton and krill, but they also sometimes feed on squid and small fish. | Sharks feed on fishes and all marine animals. |
| Communication | Whales produce certain sounds to communicate with each other. | Shark does not have such communication ability. |
| Sharks | Some types of whales are considered to be more friendly towards human beings. | Sharks are not all friendly. |
| Endangered | Whales are being endangered. | Sharks are not endangered. |
What is Whale?
Many aquatic animals are there in the ocean, sea, etc. One of them is whales. Whales are considered mammals, a different class of vertebrates. Whales have smooth skin, no scales, and use tails for swimming.
As for reproductions, whales give birth to young ones. And they are warm-blooded animals. As for the characterization, whales have bones. Unlike sharks, it has lungs to respirate.
Whales have to come up to the surface to get oxygen as they cannot retrieve oxygen from water and has lungs to breathe. Most importantly, the air is taken in by the airhole on the top of the whale’s head.
They are warm-blooded animals, therefore they can regulate temperature as a result they can feel the temperature of their surrounding.
Whales give birth to the young ones, that’s why they don’t let their babies go away. Apparently, they provide required attention to the baby whale. Also, they feed them milk.
Moreover, whales are much friendlier to human beings and don’t have hunting tendencies. And they feed on plankton and krill as well as on small fishes and squid.
Additionally, they create sounds to communicate with each other. Also, they weigh more than 100 tons and their maximum height is 35 meters.
What is Shark?
Many aquatic animals can be found in the ocean, sea, and other bodies of water. One of them is sharks. Sharks are considered fishes, a type of vertebrate. Sharks have scales and use a streamlined body along with tails for swimming.
As for reproductions, sharks lay eggs. And they are cold-blooded animals. As for the characterization, whales have no bones but cartilage. Unlike whales, it has gills to respirate.
Sharks respirate through gills absorb dissolved oxygen in the water. As the slits on the side of the shark’s head consist of the gills.
They are cold-blooded animals, therefore they are unable to regulate temperature as a result they can’t feel the temperature of the surrounding.
One of the reasons why sharks stay in temperate or tropical waters. However, some cold sharks live in polar environments.
The sharks lay eggs, but some lay young ones as well. The young ones receive little or almost negligible paternal care. Although, the quantity of the eggs is very few.
Moreover, sharks are considered dangerous and have hunting tendencies. And they feed small fishes and all marine animals. Additionally, they do not create sounds to communicate with each other.
Also, they weigh just a little over 2 tons and their maximum height is six meters.
Main Differences Between Whale and Shark
Whales and sharks are marine animals, however, they are very different from each other. They have different sizes, features, and weights. Yet, people tend to take them as similar creatures.
Aquatic habitats have vast vegetation as well as animals. Some are considered friendly, and some are considered dangerous. Even some areas are unexplored and some animals are unidentified.
- Whales give birth to young ones, while sharks lay eggs.
- Whales weigh more than 100 tons, while sharks weigh a little over 2 tons.
- Whales eat plankton and krill, but they also sometimes feed on squid and small fish. Meanwhile, sharks feed on fishes and all marine animals.
- Whales produce certain sounds to communicate with each other, while shark does not have such communication ability.
- Some types of whales are considered to be more friendly towards human beings, while sharks are not all friendly.
- Whales are being endangered, while sharks are not endangered.
References
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences/article/culture-in-whales-and-dolphins/FFB6CDC9F75754439FCF345FD942089E
- https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780691210872/html
Last Updated : 30 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
It’s amusing how humans tend to generalize aquatic animals. Whales and sharks are different in various aspects, so it’s essential to educate people about these distinctions.
Absolutely. The more people understand these differences, the better they can appreciate the beauty of aquatic life.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s time to debunk these misconceptions surrounding marine creatures.
The information provided in this article is incomplete. It would have been interesting to learn more about the mating and feeding behaviors of whales and sharks.
The information is presented in a well-structured manner, making it easy to understand the distinctions between whales and sharks. Great job!
The narrative in the article is flawed and misleading. It manipulates facts to portray whales as friendly creatures and sharks as dangerous, perpetuating a harmful stereotype.
It’s absolutely crucial to create awareness about the differences between whales and sharks to avoid misconceptions. This article does that effectively.
This article is full of enriching information. I find it fascinating that whales give birth to live young, unlike sharks that lay eggs. Thanks for sharing!
I completely agree with you. It’s impressive how such different animals are part of the aquatic life.