What is the Loudest Animal in the World? Marine and Land Animals Explored

The world's loudest animal is none other than the sperm whale, as considered by experts. The said giant marine mammal can produce sound as high as 230 decibels, a unit of measurement used to determine sound level, sound intensity, and amplitude. The blue whale is also a rising contender in the category. However, experts say the topic is still subject to debate.

Ranging from a dog's bark to a bear's growls, a lion's roar, and a bird's chirp, different members of the Animal Kingdom vocalize sounds to communicate, call for help, respond to a threat, and among other reasons. For instance, a wolf will howl to call on its pack when hunting or perceiving danger. Wild animals also make sound toward members of their species and even others on their predator or prey.

For years, scientists have studied not only the loudness or intensity of these sounds but also the meaning behind them. From large animals like whales and smaller ones like primates, the art of vocalized sounds is more of a necessity rather than a special ability possess by living organisms. It is for this reason that their loudness has meaning instead of being random.

Sperm Whale

According to the Guinness World Records, the loudest animal sound are "unidirectional clicks" created by a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). They use the sound for echolocation during prey hunting in the depths of the ocean. These clicks can be as strong as 236 decibels, which on air or land, is equivalent to around 10 times the bang of a thunderclap, from the perspective of the human ear, Guinness says.

In different wildlife documentaries and videos, the clicking sounds produced by P. macrocephalus can be compared to "trumpets" which are short and loud audio pulses produced by compressing air into the whale's respiratory system, according to a research article published in the website Nature. Modern marine navigation equipment can also detect these echolocation sounds.

Loudest Animals in the World

Following the sperm whales, some other creatures can be placed on Earth's loudest animal category such as howler monkeys, tiger pistol shrimps, bulldog bats, hyenas, elephants, hippos, American alligators, and among others.

While the mentioned wildlife is mostly found in the world's jungles and bodies of water, there are those that are close to our daily lives. For example, dogs and cats are two of the most common household pets worldwide. In most cases, they make noises that even we cannot fully understand, despite their loudness.

According to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, the average dog bark ranges between 80 and 90 decibels, as cited by USA Today. Guinness World Records also documented the 'loudest dog bark' in history, measuring at approximately 113 decibels from a golden retriever named Charlie. The said bark record is almost half of the sperm whale clicking noises.