32 of the loudest animals on Earth

Listening to the sounds of nature is known to make people feel more relaxed, helping reduce stress and anxiety as well as improving mood and productivity. But the calls of some Animals are not so peaceful, reaching levels that could cause permanent damage to our hearing. 

From the tiniest bugs with ear-piercing shrieks to giants of the ocean that are as loud as jet engines, here are 32 of the loudest animals on Earth.

Blue whales

The blue whale claims the title for not only being the largest animal in the natural world — it is also the loudest. It can emit calls — or long rumbling "songs" that hit 188 decibels — louder than a jet engine and loud enough to damage human eardrums. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are mostly solitary marine maMMAls, only coming together to mate or migrate. They use their deafening call to communicate in the vast oceans, with their song heard up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away. Scientists have recorded a decline in tonal song by blue whales, but the reason why still remains a mystery. 

Sperm whales

Diving to depths of over 10,000 feet (3,050 meters), sperm whales are another whale species that emit loud clicks similar to Morse code to communicate. Using echolocation to hunt for prey such as giant squid, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) emit short bursts of high-pitched clicks, known as codas, which can reach 230 decibels. Although this noise is louder than the blue whale call, it lasts a fraction of the time. A 2024 study has found evidence that sperm whales communicate using a complex "phonetic alphabet" and could be using different types of vocalizations to communicate. 

Bowhead whales

Another marine maMMAl that uses long, rumbling songs and moans to communicate at volume across Arctic waters is the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). With the longest baleen — or filter-feeding system —of all baleen whale species, bowhead whales can reach up to 15 feet (4.6 m) in length. 

Their calls can reach up to 159 decibels and their complex vocalizations range from longer moans to shorter calls, which vary in intensity and frequency. A 1987 study found evidence of 20 repeated phrases in songs of bowhead whales off the coast of Alaska, with one phrase lasting up to 146 seconds. 

Greater bulldog bats

The loudest species in the bat family Noctilionidae, the greater bulldog bat (Noctilio leporinus) can emit loud "chirps" of up to 140 decibels. Using echolocation to track and hunt for fish in rivers and ponds, it is sometimes known as the "fisherman bat." Although the frequency of its call is too high for the human ear to detect, it has a similar intensity to that of a gunshot. The greater bulldog bat emits this loud noise when it flies to communicate with other bats. It is also the third loudest animal in the world.