Which marine animal is known for producing the loudest sound of any animal?

The sperm whale is known for producing the loudest sound of any animal.

Its clicks, used mainly for echolocation, can reach about 230 decibels measured relative to one micropascal at one metre. Decibel values in water and air use different reference pressures, so underwater figures cannot be directly compared with familiar sounds measured in air.

Sperm whales produce clicks by moving air through specialized structures in the nasal passages. A large organ called the spermaceti organ helps focus and modify the sound. These clicks allow the whales to navigate and locate prey in the darkness of the deep ocean.

The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale and can dive to depths of more than 2,000 metres. It commonly hunts squid, including large deep-sea species. Humpback whales are famous for complex songs, while blue whales produce powerful low-frequency calls, but the sperm whale’s echolocation clicks are generally cited as the loudest animal sounds.