The Top Fastest Sea Animals. Flying fish can reach speeds of up to 35mph when they leap out of the water. Their torpedo-shaped bodies and fins help them move quickly through the air.
The bluefin tuna is one of the only types of fish that are warm-blooded, which helps it swim faster than other fish. Unfortunately, bluefin tuna are endangered due to over-fishing.
The black marlin is the fastest fish in the ocean, reaching speeds of up to 82 miles per hour!
This shape helps reduce the amount of friction caused by moving through saltwater, making these animals some of the fastest in the sea. Here are 10 of the quickest sea creatures:
Killer Whale – 32 mph
The orca, also known as the killer whale, is a beautiful marine mammal with a sleek black and white coat. It is believed to be the fastest mammal in the water, capable of reaching speeds of up to 32 miles per hour.
Orcas can grow to be 31 feet long, and males are usually larger and more robust than females. You can tell males apart from females in the water because their dorsal fins are tall and erect, while the fins of females gently curve. The orca’s black and white coloration is also unmistakable.
Flying Fish – 35 mph
There are about 23 species of flying fish, all of which have a torpedo-shaped body that helps them swim quickly. They also have pectoral fins on their sides and pelvic fins, as well as dorsal and fins that are located far back on the body. The pectoral fins are especially large, which allows the fish to glide just above the surface of the water.
Flying fish don’t actually fly, but they are able to leap out of the water at high speeds – up to 35 miles per hour. Sometimes they leap so high that they land on boat decks.
Mako Shark – 40 mph
The mako shark is a fast, powerful, warm-blooded fish that is good to eat, but is unfortunately endangered. There are two species of this shark – the great white and the shortfin. The great white is a bit smaller, only reaching lengths of 8.2 feet to 15 feet.
It also doesn’t weigh as much as the shortfin, only reaching up to 1400 pounds. Both mako shark species are torpedo-shaped and have metallic blue coloring on their top half, with a white bottom half.
The longfin gets its name because it has longer pectoral fins than the shortfin. It also has much larger eyes. Both species have mouths full of sharp, haphazard-looking teeth.
Bonito – 40 mph
The bonito is a small, fast-moving fish that can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. It is a member of the mackerel family and is found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The Atlantic bonito grows to a length of three feet and has a long, compressed body that is silver on the bottom and blue on top.
It inhabits temperate and tropical seas near the shore, and is a migratory species that ranges from Nova Scotia to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. In some cases, bonito have been found as far south as Argentina.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 43 mph
The bluefin tuna is a unique fish because it is warm-blooded. All tuna species are warm-blooded, but the bluefin’s warm-bloodedness is exceptionally efficient. This is certainly one of the reasons why the fish is as fast as it is. The bluefin has been clocked at 43 miles per hour.
An adult bluefin can be between 6.6 and 8.2 feet long and weigh between 496 to 551 pounds. The longest one recorded was 12 feet long and weighed close to 1500 pounds. It is a powerful fish that can put up a fight when caught.
Pilot Whale – 47 mph
The pilot whale is a large dolphin that can reach speeds of 47 miles per hour. Also known as the blackfish, this intelligent and social animal is famous for beaching itself. its conservation status is of least concern, but it is often caught in nets meant for commercial fishes.
The pilot whale is actually a large dolphin, not a whale, and is capable of swimming at speeds of up to 47 miles per hour. Also known as the blackfish, this animal is highly intelligent as well as fast. It is very social and is famous for inexplicably stranding itself on beaches.
Although its conservation status is of least concern, it is often caught in nets meant for commercial fishes.