Fastest Sea Animals and Fish
Number one is the orca at up to 56 km/h (35 mph) (short bursts; cruising speed is about 5–10 km/h), followed by the atlantic bluefin tuna at roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) and the swordfish at roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph).
| # | Animal | Top speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orca Mammal |
up to 56 km/h (35 mph) | short bursts; cruising speed is about 5–10 km/h |
| 2 | Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fish |
roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) | estimated physical ceiling for short bursts from hydrodynamic studies; the often-quoted 70–100 km/h has never been measured |
| 3 | Swordfish Fish |
roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) | estimated physical ceiling for short bursts from hydrodynamic studies; never measured directly, and the popular 97 km/h figure is unsupported |
| 4 | Bull Shark Fish |
about 40 km/h (25 mph) | commonly cited estimate for short bursts; not rigorously measured |
| 5 | California Sea Lion Mammal |
up to 40 km/h (25 mph) | short bursts; cruising speed is around 15–18 km/h |
| 6 | Great White Shark Fish |
about 40 km/h (25 mph) | short bursts when attacking; cruising speed is only a few km/h |
| 7 | Indo-Pacific Sailfish Fish |
about 30–36 km/h (19–22 mph) | fastest bursts measured or calculated in modern studies; the popular 110 km/h figure is not supported |
| 8 | Bottlenose Dolphin Mammal |
30–35 km/h (18–22 mph) | short bursts; normally travels at 5–11 km/h |
| 9 | Giant Manta Ray Fish |
about 14–35 km/h (9–22 mph) | commonly cited cruising speed to short escape bursts; estimates, not precise measurements |
| 10 | Nile Crocodile Reptile |
30–35 km/h (19–22 mph) | short bursts |
| 11 | Sperm Whale Mammal |
about 35 km/h (22 mph) in bursts | approximate burst speed when alarmed; normally 5–15 km/h |
| 12 | Walrus Mammal |
up to 35 km/h (22 mph) | short bursts; normally swims at about 7 km/h |
| 13 | American Alligator Reptile |
32 km/h (20 mph) | short bursts in water; about 18 km/h in a brief rush on land |
| 14 | Blue Whale Mammal |
over 32 km/h (20 mph) in bursts | short bursts; normally cruises at about 8 km/h |
| 15 | Tiger Shark Fish |
about 32 km/h (20 mph) | commonly cited estimate for short bursts; it normally cruises at 3–4 km/h |
| 16 | Saltwater Crocodile Reptile |
24–29 km/h (15–18 mph) | short bursts; cruising speed is only a few km/h |
| 17 | Humpback Whale Mammal |
up to 24–27 km/h (15–17 mph) | short bursts; migrating whales travel at 5–15 km/h |
| 18 | West Indian Manatee Mammal |
up to 24 km/h (15 mph) | short bursts; normally cruises at 5–8 km/h |
| 19 | Beluga Whale Mammal |
up to 22 km/h (14 mph) | short bursts; normally swims at 3–9 km/h |
| 20 | Harbor Seal Mammal |
about 19 km/h (12 mph) | short bursts; usually cruises much more slowly |
| 21 | Bowhead Whale Mammal |
about 10 km/h (6 mph) | when fleeing; normally travels at 2–6 km/h |
| 22 | Leatherback Sea Turtle Reptile |
2–10 km/h (1–6 mph) | typical travel speeds from satellite tracking; a burst of about 35 km/h is often quoted but poorly documented |
| 23 | Emperor Penguin Bird |
6–9 km/h (4–6 mph) | normal underwater cruising; short bursts are faster |
| 24 | Sea Otter Mammal |
up to 9 km/h (5.6 mph) | top speed underwater; much slower when paddling on its back |
| 25 | North American Beaver Mammal |
8 km/h (5 mph) | top swimming speed; slow and clumsy on land |
About this ranking
Water is about 800 times denser than air, so swimming speeds are far lower than flying or running speeds. They are also very hard to measure: the famous claims of sailfish and swordfish exceeding 100 km/h come from old fishing-line estimates, and modern tagging studies suggest much lower bursts. The figures here are the conservative, better-supported ones.
How it is ranked: Animals whose top speed is achieved by swimming, ranked by maximum well-supported burst speed. The list covers the 214 animals in the AnimalStats database, not every species on Earth.
The top five in detail
1. Orca — up to 56 km/h (35 mph)
Orcas can swim at up to 56 km/h (35 mph) in short bursts, which puts them among the fastest marine mammals. They usually cruise at 5–10 km/h, and pods commonly travel 100 km or more in a day while searching for prey.
2. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna — roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph)
Atlantic bluefin tuna probably top out at roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) in short bursts. Popular sources claim 70 km/h or even 100 km/h, but no such speed has been measured, and hydrodynamic studies suggest fins would be damaged by cavitation above about 10–15 m per second. Tagged bluefin usually cruise at under 10 km/h.
3. Swordfish — roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph)
Swordfish probably reach no more than about 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) in short bursts. The widely repeated 97 km/h (60 mph) figure is based on old, unverifiable calculations, and no swordfish has ever been directly clocked. Hydrodynamic studies suggest cavitation would damage the fins of any fish above about 10–15 m per second.
4. Bull Shark — about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Bull sharks are commonly said to reach about 40 km/h (25 mph) in short bursts, though this figure is an estimate rather than a measured speed. They normally cruise slowly along the bottom and use a sudden burst, often with a head-butt, to catch prey in murky water.
5. California Sea Lion — up to 40 km/h (25 mph)
California sea lions can swim at up to about 40 km/h (25 mph) in short bursts, which makes them among the fastest seals and sea lions. They cruise at around 15–18 km/h and often leap clear of the water, or porpoise, when traveling fast.