A LITTLE WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE
How big is a beluga whale?
Compare your height to a beluga whale.
Belugas can reach about 4.9 m (16 ft) long. This horizontal swimming example is scaled to 4.5 m from nose to tail.
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
Beluga whale
next to the average.
Average U.S. adults, side by side.
Side view · example 4.5 m long adult
- Average man (U.S.)5 ft 8.9 in
- Beluga whale3 ft 8.8 in
- Average woman (U.S.)5 ft 3.5 in
How do you measure up?
Enter your height to stand beside a beluga whale.
Side by side
- Beluga whale3 ft 8.8 in
- Your placeAdd your height
The animal is an example adult in the pose shown. Its full outline is scaled to 113.7 cm vertically. Side view · example 4.5 m long adult. Shoulder height and body length are explained below.
Where do you stand?
Keep this comparison and open the full library of people, celebrities, animals, and objects.
GET TO KNOW THE ANIMAL
Small facts. Big discoveries.
Beluga whale · Delphinapterus leucas
The beluga has a rounded forehead and no dorsal fin. A tough ridge along its back helps it move beneath floating Arctic ice.
Belugas make many sounds and use echolocation to find their way and locate food. Their neck bones are not fused together, so they can turn and nod their heads more freely than many other whales.
- Beluga calves are dark gray and become lighter as they grow.
- Some populations rub against gravel to help shed their old outer skin.
How big do adults get?
- Male
- Species length: up to about 4.9 m
- Female
- Species length: up to about 4.9 m
The same species-wide upper length is shown for both sexes; it is not a separate male or female average. The ruler shows the outline’s vertical extent in this pose.
Height, length, or weight?
Standing height runs from the ground to the top of the animal. Shoulder height stops at the top of the shoulders. Length runs along the body; it is not how tall an animal stands. Weight tells us how heavy it is.
Explore the science: NOAA Fisheries ↗