These Gigantic Animals Actually Exist In Real Life
We know that some animals are bigger than others. This is common knowledge. Elephants are big animals. Blue whales are the biggest animals that have ever lived on this planet (yes they were bigger than every dinosaur). Sometimes, animals can be big for their breed. Have you ever seen a fish that's as big as a van? Or a bat that's as big as a person. All of the animals on this list are bigger than anybody expected— and they're 100% real (believe it or not).
Keep reading to see some truly astounding giant animals. At least one of them is guaranteed to give you nightmares!
Have You Ever Seen A Bat This Big?
The Bismarck masked flying fox lives in Papua New Guinea and is named after the Bismarck Archipelago. They are the largest bats in the world. These animals are called flying foxes because of the fox-like shape of their heads. Their wingspan can reach as far as 5.25 feet but are typically just under five feet. It has pointed ears and no tail.
They are one of the few species of mammals in which the males are able to lactate. They eat fruit, nectar, and flowers. They are unable to echolocate, but they have very good eyes. Their colonies can include as many as 200,000 bats.
Are You Sure This Isn't A Seamonster?
The giant oarfish is the world's longest bony fish. They can reach a length of 110 feet. The biggest oarfish ever recorded weighed 600 pounds. Whenever these deep-sea fish wash up on shore, they make headlines because they are just gigantic. Because of their size, they have also been confused as "sea serpents" on numerous occasions.
They are silver with dark markings and swim in an undulating manner. They are named after their long, oar-shaped fins. Very little is known about these creatures. Their diet consists of krill, other small crustaceans, fish, and squid. The adults tend to be solitary.
This Bull Is 3,682 Pounds
The owner of this giant bull says that his big animal is all muscle. This bull comes from England. His name is Field Marshall and he weighs a whopping 3,682 pounds. Just a year earlier, he weighed 300 pounds less, so this guy is growing fast. His owner Arthur Duckett, who is 80 years old, told the media: "He's in very good health and there's no reason why he won't keep on growing.
He's only eight and unless something unforeseen happens he will get bigger and bigger. But he's not fat - he's all muscle. I could feed him heavier but I don't want to make him look grotesque, I want him to be healthy and put on weight naturally. That's why I keep him outdoors in a field and not inside.''
A Jellyfish Bigger Than You
We're used to seeing small jellyfish around the beach, but this giant jellyfish is almost too big to comprehend. This jelly was spotted in July 2019 by a biologist named Lizzy Daly and her cameraman, Dan Abbot. The jellyfish was longer than Daly (who is pictured with the animal above).
She posted this photo to social media with the caption, "Woah!!!!! We went diving in Falmouth yesterday to finish off #WildOceanWeek and came across this GIANT barrel jellyfish! What a way to finish off this marine wildlife adventure!"
A 245 Pound Dog
Giant George was dubbed the world's tallest living dog by Guinness World Records. The Great Dane was 3 feet, 7 inches from his paw to his shoulder and nearly seven feet long. He weighed 245 pounds -- about 100 pounds more than the average Great Dane.
According to owners Dave and Christie Nasser, he was the runt of the litter. They explained on their website: "Eager to play … this big Great Dane was scared of water, scared of dogs a fraction of his size and, most of all, scared of being alone." He died in 2013 just shy of his eighth birthday.
A Shark Eating Crocodile
This isn't any regular old crocodile. This is a malesaltwater crocodile. These beasts can grow to weigh as much as 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. In 2014, a saltwater crocodile named Brutus got hungry, and he decided that he was in the mood for some shark. That's right, this 18-food crocodile actually ate a shark. This is a photo of him jumping out of the water to snag some kangaroo meet from a tour boat.
Harry Bowman from Adelaide River Cruises explained: "It's pretty gobsmacking for them. A lot of people who come on these cruises haven't seen a crocodile before. To see them in the wild up so close, I think they're awed. It's like seeing a dinosaur really."
That's One Big Catfish
Catfish are big fish, but they're usually not quite this big. This particular catfish was caught on May 1, 2005 in northern Thailand in the Mekong River. This species of cat fish is known as the Mekong giant catfish. The fish weighed 646 pounds and was nearly nine feet long. That's a world record!
Zeb Hogan, a member of the World Wildlife Fund told the media, “I’m thrilled that we’ve set a new record, but we need to put this discovery in context: these giant fish are uniformly poorly studied and some are critically endangered. Some, like the Mekong giant catfish, face extinction.”
A Big Friendly Donkey
Oklahoma Sam was dubbed the "Tallest Living Donkey" in 2012 at the age of four years old. At an astonishing 15.3 hands in length, she was much larger than the common donkey, who is typically eight hands. Oklahoma Sam lived in California with her owner and several other animals, including a Macaw, duck, goose, and four cats, who had no problem with the donkey's size.
Owner Linda Davis told Guinness World Records, "It actually doesn't cost any more to have a donkey of this size. He doesn't eat more. In fact, if I give him more bale he'll just use it to make his bedding more comfortable."
A Million Dollar Mastiff
Adult Tibetan Mastiffs can weigh as much as 286 pounds. In 2011, a red Tibetan mastiff was the most expensive dog in the world after being sold for 10 million Chinese yuan, or $1.5 million. Owning one of these animals has become a bit of a status symbol for the Chinese.
It enables the rich to show off their wealth instead of using expensive cars or jewelry. The Tibetan Mastiffs are red, which is a lucky color for the Chinese. They are also considered to be holy animals and are credited with giving their owners better health and security.
A Big Capybara
Gary The Capybara is the world’s largest pet rodent. Standing at about the size of a midsize dog, Gary is a beloved member of his owner’s family. Melanie Typaldos and Richard Loveman met Gary on a trip to Venezuela and fell in love with him, eventually bringing him back to her home in Texas.
Gary spends his days swimming in his owners' swimming pool and said to be a fast learner. According to Ms. Typaldos, Gary knows how to turn in circles, stand up, jump, and shake hands when told to do so. Gary’s favorite place to sleep is right next to his owners in the family bed.
Check Out This Tortoise
Although Colin Kapernick is a quarterback known not just for his big playing ability but also his smooth elusiveness and explosive mobility, his giant pet tortoise Sammy was the exact opposite. Weighing in at 115 pounds, Sammy is a member of the third largest species of tortoises in the world.
These tortoises can live up to 150 years so the concept of a tortoise outliving its owner is a potential scenario so some owners put their pet tortoises in their will. In 2013, when the San Francisco 49ers were en route to the super bowl, it is worth noting that Sammy the tortoise had his own Twitter feed and had much to say.
The Astounding Goliath Frog
Although not quite the largest amphibian on earth, the Goliath frog still holds the title of being the largest living species of frogs on the planet! They can weigh over seven pounds and can only be found on the continent of Africa in the rivers within the countries of Cameroon and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Goliath frogs eat spiders, small snakes, crabs, turtles, smaller frogs, worms and other insects. They only eat small snakes as bigger snakes feed on the Goliath frogs. Goliath frogs live for up to 15 years and are currently classified as an endangered species.
That Stingray Is Terrifying
These animals can weigh as much as 1,300 pounds and be as long as 6.2 feet across. Like the giant catfish, they are found in the Mekong River. They are indigenous to rivers and estuaries in Indochina and Borneo but are endangered. People hunt them for meat or use them for recreation. They are commonly displayed in aquariums.
Unfortunately, their habitats have been degraded so their numbers are dwindling. They eat fish and invertebrates, and females generally give birth to between one and four pups. They are not aggressive, but their sting can pierce the bone. Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter was killed by a stingray in Australia.
A Beast Of A Beetle
If you're afraid of bugs, you're going to want to avert your eyes for this one. This is a photo of a titan longhorn beetle. These creepy crawlies can grow to be nearly seven inches long. The bug pictured above is 6.6 inches long. These beetles live in the rainforests of South America in countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and north-central Brazil.
The Hercules beetle is also quite large, but a lof of its length comes from its long horn. The titan longhorn beetle has a much bigger body and thorax, which we think is way more unsettling.
The Giant Cinereous Vulture
These birds are the world's largest bird of prey. They can weigh up to 31 pounds and have a wingspan of 8-10 feet. These large birds live in Europe and Asia. Females are slightly bigger than the males. They are also one of the world's heaviest flying birds. The Cinereous Vulture is a largely solitary animal but occasionally live in pairs.
However, groups with as many as 20 birds may convene to feed off of carcasses. Their diet consists mostly of carrion. Their status is listed as "near threatened" because of habitat destruction and due to eating poisoned bait used to kill dogs and other animals.
Those Crab Legs Are Too Big To Eat
Crab legs are a delicacy in many parts of the world (including America). This is a photo of a Japanese Spider Crab, which is the biggest crab in the world. These crabs live, as their name suggests, in the waters of Japan. They can grow to be up to 18 feet wide from claw to claw. Sometimes they can grow to weigh over 42 pounds.
The crab's hard outer shell protects them from predators like octopuses, but that shell isn't quite hard enough to protect them from humen who'd like to eat them.
Chilli Is 18 Inches Taller Than An Average Cow
The typical adult dairy cow typicaly weighs around 1,000 pounds. Chilli the giant dairy cow is currently weighing in at around 2,750 pounds. That's a lot of cow! Jenny Wheadon of Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Somerset, England, takes care of Chilli. In 2008 she explained, "He’s fed exactly the same as the other cattle — just fresh Somerset grass and good air.”
Jenny added: "He just grew and continued to grow and grow.” Chilli currently lives at a cow sanctuary.
The Ocean Sunfish Is As Big As A Car
This is a photo of an Ocean Sunfish which is also known as the Mola Mola. There are some sharks (such as the whale shark) that are bigger than sunfish, but all of those fish have cartilege in their bodies instead of bone. Ocean Sunfish are the biggest and heaviest bony fish on the planet. They typically weigh over 2,200 pounds, and their fins can reach up to eight feet in length.
Killer whales do find these fish quite tasty, and they'll snack on them if they get the chance.
A Real Prize Pig
Depending on the type of pig, they typically weigh anywhere from 100 to 240 pounds. This guy weighed over 10 times that amount! This humongous pig is from China. He was so big that he weighed a staggering 1,984 pounds. He was treated quite well during his short life -- he only lived until the age of five. But he was fed high-quality meals and lived in a very nice pigsty.
The Liaoning Provincial Agricultural Museum was so proud of the animal that they petitioned the Guinness Book of Records to get him listed as the biggest pig that ever existed.
The Longest Bunny In The World
This is a photo of a bunny rabbit named Darius who holds the Guiness world record for being the longest bunny in the world. From tip to tail he is 4 feet and four inches long. That's as long as some humans!
Darius is so large that the owner Annette Edwards houses him in his own dog crate! So, we betyou're wondering how many carrots a rabbit this size consumes. Well, Darius can eat over 2,000 carrots and 700 apples a year in addition to a lot of rabbit food.
A Rabbit The Size Of A Dog
The Flemish Giant rabbit is a huge breed of domestic rabbit and is essentially the biggest breed of the species. It's not uncommon for them to weigh as much as 22 pounds. The longest one on record was about 4 feet 3 inches long. Notice the one in the photo above -- it's just as large as the Collie it's sleeping next to! While they can be wonderful pets, they are typically bred for their fur and meat.
They have very nice temperaments and are docile. They were bred as far back as the 16th century in Belgium, and eat Timothy hay like normal-sized rabbits.
A Jellyfish King
The Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is the largest species of jellyfish in the world! The creature gets its name from the association of its tentacles appearing like the hairs on a lion’s mane. The biggest recorded specimen of a Lion’s mane was found on a shore in Massachusetts Bay in 1870.
The bell of this colossus measured about seven feet and six inches, and with tentacles reaching up to 121 feet, it may be a while before we find another Lion's Mane of this size. The Lion’s Mane jellyfish is a cold-water creature, has a lifespan of about a year, and its diet consists of other smaller jellyfish.
Big For An Ant
World’s largest Ants
The giant Amazonian ant, also known as Dinoponera, is among the largest ants in the world. Although there is much more conversation around the bullet ant due to their size and notorious sting, the size of a female giant Amazonian ant can reach up to 1.2- 1.6 inches in length.
Found only in South America, a colony of this particular ant tends to consist of fewer than 100 ants. Also, don’t be fooled: although they aren’t particularly known for their venom, the giant Amazonian ant is still extremely poisonous. Their sting is known to cause extreme pain for up to 48 hours after the initial sting.
This Coconut Crab Is Three Feet Long
Coconut Crabs are the largest crabs in the world. They are a species of the hermit crab. They can weigh up to nine pounds and grow 3 feet 3 inches in length from leg-to-leg. They live on certain islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and as far away as the Gambier Islands. Their meals typically consist of fruits, nuts, and seeds, but they'll eat carrion and other things as well.
They do not eat coconut very often even though the fruit is associated with their name. They only climb when they want to escape and feel they are in danger. Seeing one of these scaling your wall would leave anyone in complete terror.
A Slippery Snail
The world’s biggest land snail
The giant African Snail is the largest land gastropod. With the largest snail ever recorded measuring 15.5 inches and weighing 2 pounds, the giant African snails' ranking at the top is undisputed. The giant African snail's accolades don’t stop there, however.
This snail is also listed as one of the most invasive species in the world and the United States Department of Agriculture sees it as one of the biggest potential threats to agriculture and crops in the US. The average lifespan for one of these snails is between 5-7 years and their diet can consist of anything among 500 different species of plants!
The Big, Fluffy Maine Coon
The state cat of Maine is also one of the largest and oldest domestic breeds in North America. The Maine Coon is the largest domesticated cat breed in the world. Male Maine Coons can reach a height of anywhere between 10 and 16 inches and on average weigh 13 to 18 pounds, with females measuring just slightly smaller.
The record for the longest domestic cat in the Guinness Book of World Records belongs to a Maine Coon named Stewie. Measuring 48.5 inches from nose to tail, Stewie was truly a long cat. Despite having such an imposing profile, Maine Coons are known for being gentle, intelligent and quite playful creatures.
A Horse Named Moose
TThis giant Percheron stallion has a fancy show name (it's Windermere's North American Maid) but mostly, everbody calls him Moose. Moose isn't justany old giant horse. He's a champion.
His owners at Windermere farm said, "We started calling North American Maid 'Moose' because he was always such a big colt. Now he stands 19 hands and moves with incredible action." He was also used in their breeding program: "We feel Moose is the complete package in a Percheron stallion; one where you can acquire the size to be competitive in the show ring without sacrificing style."
The Biggest Animal On The Planet
Any list about large creatures is incomplete without a mention of the largest animal not only still living, but to have ever existed. The Blue whale is a true titan, reaching a length of up to 98 feet and weighing a maximum of 190 tons. Once in abundance all over the world, whaling has greatly reduced this majestic creature’s numbers and it is estimated that there are somewhere between 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left in the world today.
Blue whales eat mostly krill -- up to 40 million krill in a day. An average blue whale's heart weighs about 400 pounds and they are the largest of any known animal.
The Biggest Land Carnivores
The Polar Bear and Kodiak bear are the world’s largest land carnivores. A male polar bear can weigh anywhere from 772 to 1,543 pounds with a female polar bear weighing about half as much. The polar bear depends on sea ice to hunt its meal of choice, seal. Due to climate change, the Polar Bear’s current conservation status is vulnerable, and biologist estimate that there are roughly 20-25,000 polar bears currently worldwide.
Often Polar Bears are painted as being extremely aggressive, but that’s not often the case. Polar Bears will often choose to escape and avoid confrontation when given a choice.
A Bear Of An Animal
Largest Land Carnivore
The Kodiak bear inhabits the Kodiak islands in Southwest Alaska. Measuring very closely to the Polar bear, they share the title of largest land carnivore. Whereas the Polar bear eats almost exclusively meat, the Kodiak bear has a much more diverse diet that changes depending on the season. During the spring they eat fresh vegetation along with the carcasses of animals that died during the winter. During the summer, they continue eating vegetation and berries along with salmon.
Some other things that some bears eat year-round are seaweed, deer, and garbage left behind by humans. Although the majority of adult bears die as a result of natural causes, more than 90% of adult male Kodiak bears are killed by hunters.
That's Not Your Average Goldfish
Meet Big Bob, the goldfish the size of a foot-long sandwich from Subway. Bob’s owner Anne Cooper bought him from a pet shop when he was only an inch long. Big Bob dwarfs all of the other fish in Anne cooper’s tank and is on his fifth fish tank since outgrowing the other ones.
Anne Cooper claims that Big Bob gets violent when he isn’t fed on time and his thrashing about is so violent that he is capable of scaring her two cats away from his tank. Also, Big Bob is known to hate the color red.
A Big Amphibian
Native to the mountain streams and lakes of China, the Chinese giant salamander is the worlds largest amphibian. On average, an adult salamander can weigh anywhere from 55 to 66 pounds and measure about 3.77 feet across. The heaviest salamander ever recorded weighed 110 pounds and measure 5.9 feet across. Salamanders eat a wide range of things and have been known to dine on dine on insects, worms, other amphibians, shrimps, crabs, fish, and water shrew.
Currently, its conservation status stands at critically endangered and its species is continually in decline due to human interactions. The vocalizations of the Chinese giant salamander are unique in that they are said to resemble that of a crying child.
The Giant Squid
Once thought to be a myth, the first live giant squid was photographed by Japanese researchers in 2002, then first captured in the wild on film in 2004. The giant squid is the second largest living invertebrate, with the largest being the Colossal squid which is still being researched as it is an extremely rare specimen.
The maximum length for a giant squid is believed to be 43 feet for females and 33 feet for males from top to bottom with a maximum weight of 606 pounds for a female giant squid and about half of that for males. Giant squid feed on deep-sea fish and other squid and the only known predator for an adult giant squid is the Sperm whale.
What Lurks In The Amazon
Weighing up to 550 pounds and reaching a size of up to 30 feet in length, the Green Anaconda is the world’s biggest snake, but also the world’s biggest reptile. The green Anaconda isn’t quite the longest snake in the world, but when weight is considered, overall, it is the biggest.
The snake can be found in remote regions throughout the central parts of South America and tend to stick to places close to water in the Amazon rainforest. They continue to grow throughout their entire lifespans and are predominantly nocturnal creatures that feed on capybaras, deer, tapirs, caimans, and on occasion even jaguars.
A Spider Of Gigantic Proportions
The Goliath Spider, also known as the bird eating spider, is the world’s biggest spider in terms of mass and size. Found in the rainforest of South America, the Goliath Spider makes its home in borrows and female spiders can live anywhere from 15 to 25 years, with males living only three to six years.
Despite one of its known names, the Goliath Spider only occasionally feast upon adult birds, instead it feasts upon other spiders, amphibians, snakes and rodents. Although the Goliath Spider is venomous, its venom isn’t as powerful as one might imagine and is comparable to the venom from a wasp sting.
Another Supersized Spider
The Giant Huntsman spider is the world’s largest spider by leg span. Although not as bulky as the Goliath spider, the legs on a Giant Huntsman spider can reach up to one foot in length. The giant Huntsman spider is native to Laos and is believed to be a cave dweller.
Huntsman spiders don’t build webs like other spiders, instead, they opt to hunt and although they are venomous, they are not considered to be a big threat to humans. There have even been instances where people have taken huntsman spiders in as pets. Huntsman spiders primarily only eat other insects, and occasionally geckos.
The Biggest Fish
Although the blue whale holds the title for the largest creature on earth, and thus the ocean, the whale shark is the world’s largest fish. The whale shark isn’t considered dangerous and is even known to be playful and to let divers catch a ride on its back.
The whale shark is generally found in tropical waters closer to the equator and is a filter feeder. Its diet consists mostly of plankton but on occasion, it may also eat small squid, small fish, and krill. The largest known whale shark was 41.5 feet in length and weighed 47,000 pounds.
A Giant Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle alive today and is also one of the heaviest reptiles in existence. Despite being a turtle, the Leatherback doesn’t possess a bone shell. Where most turtles have a shell, the leatherback has its skin exposed. On average, Leatherbacks measure 6 to 7 feet in length and can weigh between 550 to 1,540 pounds.
The Caribbean holds the largest average size per region, with leatherbacks there averaging around 847 pounds. Little is known about how long leatherbacks can live but their diets consist of mostly jellyfish. They can be found in oceans all across the world.
The Palm-Sized Goliath Beetle
The size and weight of the Goliath Beetle make it one of the largest insects on the planet. In the larval stage, the Goliath Beetle can weigh between 2.8 – 3.5 oz and measure up to 9.8 inches, but as adults their weight tends to go down by half. An adult male Goliath beetle can only reach a length of 2.4- 4.3 inches. Goliath Beetles are native to Africa’s tropical forest and a way to tell males apart from the female beetles is by looking for the horn that males use to combat other males for food or potential mates.
In the wild, they feed on tree sap and need to maintain a high protein diet, but when kept as pets, people have been known to feed the beetles cat and dog food as a protein supplement.
The Biggest Animal On Land
At a weight of nearly six tons, the African elephant is the largest living animal on land. For reference, that's nearly the weight of three cars. The largest African elephants are impressively long at 7.5 meters in length and 3.3 meters high at the shoulders. Their giant ears allow them to radiate extra heat, which is a necessity because they spend their days grazing in the hot African sun.
The elephants' most impressive feature – their gorgeous tusks – is also their downfall. The animals are under severe threat because of poaching and habitat loss.
Whale Shark
Whale sharks are characterized by their wide mouths that they use to filter feed on the bottom of the ocean. Each whale shark has unique pale grey speckled and striped skin. Because of these markings, the people of Madagascar call whale sharks marokintana, meaning "many stars."
These mammals are quite docile, not minding human interaction, despite their massive size. While the average whale shark can reach up to 32 feet and 20,000 pounds, the largest confirmed was around 62 feet in length!
Manta Ray
Also called "devilfish," manta rays are known for their blanket-shaped bodies and the horn-shaped fins on their head. Manta rays are filter feeders and can reach up to 23 feet wide.
This creature has an interesting history with seafaring people. Legend had it that if a manta ray was spotted, the ship was going to go down to Davy Jones' Locker. It was believed that the manta ray would latch onto the anchor of the boat and drag it down!
Blue Whale
Before the International Whaling Commission banned the hunting of blue whales in 1967, they were almost an extinct species. The number of blue whales in the oceans today is around three to eleven percent of the estimated population in 1911.
Blue whales are known as one of the largest animals ever to exist, reaching 98-feet in length and around 190 tons. Interestingly, this species is one where the females are larger than males!
Sunflower Sea Stars
Sunflower sea stars are quite a sight, considering most starfish that people are privy to are no larger than their palm. This species, on the other hand, has 16 to 24 limbs and can reach an arm span of around three feet.
Unfortunately, the species has seen a rapid decline in population since 2013 due to sea star wasting disease. This disease is a direct result of warmer water temperatures, something the sea stars are not accustomed to since they prefer cooler Pacific waters.
Japanese Spider Crab
Considering the Japanese spider crab's size, it's hard to imagine that these creatures are actually gentle beings. From claw to claw, these crabs can reach up to 18-feet with a weight of 42 pounds!
This particular species only inhabits oceans around its native Japan, primarily off the southern coast of Honshu. In Japan, the spider crab is considered a delicacy, but there have been many laws put in place to help the diminishing population.
Caribbean Barrel Sponge
Known as the "redwood of the reef," Caribbean barrel sponges can reach up to six feet in diameter. They can typically be found 33-390 feet under the Caribbean sea, nestled in the coral reefs.
This species of sponge is estimated to live for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, making it one of the best-studied sponge species. They also make for a nice habitat for many fish species. If a diver knows where to look, it is certainly an amazing sight!
Giant Clam
Documentation of giant clams dates back to 1521, with the Italian explorer Antonio Pigafetta. The species can measure up to 47-inches across, weigh up to 440-pounds, and can live in the wild for 100 plus years.
Historically, giant clams are misunderstood. For a long time, the species was thought to be dangerous, being able to close its large shell around people's limbs. The action gave the creature the nicknames "killer clam" and "man-eating clam," even though it's not an aggressive species.
Giant Pacific Octopus
Giant Pacific octopi are huge, holding the record as the largest octopus species in the world. They have an average arm span of 16 feet while weighing about 110 pounds. Ironically, even though these are massive beings, giant Pacific octopi are introverts.
The species is very shy and doesn't enjoy interaction with other animals, only leaving their dens in search of a meal. Otherwise, they're homebodies with a nifty camouflage feature that allows them to blend in with their surroundings, both in color and texture.
Lion's Mane Jellyfish
Lion's mane jellyfish are known to be the largest species of jellies in the world. Also called the giant jellyfish or the aptly-named hair jellyfish, the largest ever recorded had tentacles that were 112-feet long with a bell diameter of 7 feet.
Scientist Alexander Agassiz was the one to record the measurements in 1865, off the coast of Massachusetts. Although lion's mane jellyfish look intimidating, their sting only causes temporary discomfort and redness to humans.
Giant Isopod
The giant isopod is a large underwater creature that is related to shrimp and crabs. It also resembles a gigantic underwater cockroach. "Supergiants" of the species can grow to be around 30-inches long and weigh close to four pounds.
This species is very active in the cold waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. They're typically left alone by fishers, but the giant isopods aren't as generous. They usually go after the fish caught in nets!
Great White Shark
The great white shark is known for its size and speed. The larger members of the species can grow upwards of 20-feet in length, weigh around 4,200-5,000 pounds, and swim at a speed of 35 miles per hour. Although they typically swim at the surface, great whites are also able to reach a depth of 3,900 feet!
Great white sharks are depicted throughout media, most famously in Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Jaws by author Peter Benchley.
Southern Elephant Seal
Southern elephant seals are known for the elephant-like appendage on the top of males' heads. The "nose" is used to produce loud roaring sounds, especially during mating season. These creatures are massive, weighing six to seven times more than a polar bear!
This species of elephant seal ranges in size depending on the region, but the largest measured is something to behold. The record-setting seal was measured at 22.5-feet long with an estimated weight of 11,000 pounds.
Giant Tube Worms
Giant tube worms were accidentally discovered in 1977, while a team of geologists was going to explore hydrothermal vents near the Galapagos Rift. The marine invertebrates can measure up to eight feet in length with a diameter of almost two inches. They're also one of those crazy creatures that can survive in complete darkness.
As giant tube worms spend their lives attached to the seafloor, they live in symbiosis with other microorganisms. This means that the tube worms provide shelter while the surrounding bacteria produce sugars from gases for food.
Portuguese Man O' War
Even though this creature looks like a jellyfish and has a tendency to sting, the Portuguese man o' war is not technically a jellyfish. Rather, it is called a siphonophore, a colony of organisms instead of a single multicellular creature. This means the Portuguese man o' war is made up of hundreds, maybe thousands, of genetically-identical creatures!
The tentacles of the creature can reach up to 165-feet in length -- pretty crazy for an organism that isn't able to swim but rather takes the phrase "go with the flow" literally.
Orca Whale
More formidably known as "killer whales," orcas are considered the largest species of the dolphin family. They're easily spotted due to their long dorsal fin and distinct black and white coloring. This species can measure up to 32 feet and weigh around six tons.
According to National Geographic, orcas are very sociable creatures and live together in pods, typically in the cooler arctic waters. They get their nickname "killer" because of their tendency to prey on any and all sea creatures.
Ocean Sunfish
This funky-looking sea creature is called an ocean sunfish. This is the heaviest known bony fish in the world and can weigh up to 2,205 pounds during adulthood. When its dorsal fins are fully extended, a sunfish can expand its length past the typical six feet to around eight feet!
Even though it doesn't look it, the sunfish does indeed have a tail; it's just not what we normally think of as a tail. Instead of a typical fin, the sunfish has what's called a pseudotail and is used as a rudder.
Fin Whale
After the blue whale, the fin whale is the second-largest known species on Earth. The long and slender whale has a reported maximum length of 85 feet and a weight of 80 tons. Even with all of that weight, this creature is the fastest whale species.
Fin whales can reach up to 18 miles per hour and can even travel at 30 mph if the need arises. They like to live alone or with a tiny pod, and this species can live more than 80 years in the wild.
Marlin
The marlin is best known for its beautiful rigid dorsal fin and its spear-like extended snout. It's said that the common name "marlin" was derived from a sailor's marlinspike, a tool that looks very similar to this fish's "nose." Marlins can measure up to 16-feet in length and weigh a whopping 1,803 pounds.
Aside from its popularity in sport fishing, the marlin is probably best known for its involvement in Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea.
Giant Squid
Giant squids are creatures with deep-sea gigantism, meaning they're substantially larger than their shallow-water counterparts. The largest giant squid to be recorded was a female that measured 59-feet in length and weighed almost a ton.
The first recorded image of these creatures in their natural habitat didn't take place until 2004, with the first film recording happening a few years later in 2012. Both instances took place off the coast of Japan. It wasn't until 2019 that scientists filmed a giant squid in U.S. waters.
Giant Oarfish
Although oarfish start no bigger than the span of a human thumb to pinky, they grow up to be massive. Giant oarfish are the largest bony fish in the world, reaching lengths up to 36 feet and weighing 600 pounds.
Oarfish are interesting-looking creatures because they have dorsal fins that run the length of their bodies, with long oar-shaped pelvic fins. This fish swims in a ribbon-like manner, making it the source of many false reports of sea serpent sightings.
