How loud is a blue whale?
Antarctic blue whale calls have average source levels of about 189 dB re 1 µPa at 1 m, measured off the Western Antarctic Peninsula (189 ± 3 dB) and in the western Indian Ocean (188.5 ± 2.1 dB). The calls are very low, around 25 to 30 Hz, and researchers have located calling whales up to 200 km away.
- Level
- 188.5–189 dB re 1 µPadecibels relative to 1 micropascal, measured in water
- Distance
- 1 m1 m (source level, back-calculated from distant hydrophones)
- Daily limit
- Underwater levelnot an air level
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Underwater level in dB re 1 µPa. Underwater decibels are not comparable with in-air decibels: see "underwater-vs-air". Average call source levels of Antarctic blue whales: 189 ± 3 dB re 1 µPa at 1 m over 25 to 29 Hz (Širović et al. 2007) and 188.5 ± 2.1 dB re 1 µPa over 25 to 30 Hz (Bouffaut et al. 2021).
Ana Širović and colleagues at Scripps used calibrated, bottom-moored hydrophones off the Western Antarctic Peninsula and located calling blue whales up to 200 km away. They estimated an average call source level of 189 ± 3 dB re 1 µPa at 1 m over 25 to 29 Hz. A 2021 study in the western Indian Ocean, using a single bottom-mounted hydrophone, found 188.5 ± 2.1 dB for an Antarctic blue whale and 176.8 ± 1.8 dB for a Madagascar pygmy blue whale, so subspecies differ.
DOSITS describes blue and fin whale moans at 10 to 25 Hz with source levels up to 190 dB at 1 m, and notes that their calls raise ambient noise at 17 to 20 Hz off California in autumn and winter. These are among the lowest-pitched animal sounds, near or below the bottom of human hearing.
A source level is what the call would measure 1 m from the whale, worked back from recordings made much further away. It is in dB re 1 µPa, so it cannot be compared with in-air decibels without the 61.5 dB correction DOSITS describes.
Is it dangerous?
Measured in water against a 1 µPa reference, so the number cannot be compared directly with levels in air. See the underwater note on the Scroll. Marine-mammal and diver exposure criteria use their own metrics and are outside the scope of this page.
Protecting your hearing
No risk to people: the calls are low-frequency and the whales are rarely close to swimmers.
Questions
Is the blue whale the loudest animal?
Blue whale calls reach about 189 dB re 1 µPa at 1 m, among the loudest animal sounds, but sperm whale clicks are louder at up to 236 dB re 1 µPa.
How far can a blue whale be heard?
Researchers off Antarctica located calling blue whales up to 200 km from their hydrophones.
Sources
- Blue and fin whale call source levels and propagation range in the Southern Ocean, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (Širović et al., 2007) via PubMed. Supports: dB_high: 189 dB re 1 µPa at 1 m.
the average blue whale call source level was 189+/-3 dB re:1 microPa-1 m over 25-29 Hz
Checked 2026-11-02. - Source level and vocalizing depth estimation of two blue whale subspecies in the western Indian Ocean from single sensor observations, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (Bouffaut et al., 2021) via PubMed. Supports: dB_low: 188.5 dB re 1 µPa.
The average estimated SL of 188.5 ± 2.1 dB re 1μPa measured between [25-30] Hz for the ABW
Checked 2026-11-02. - Blue whale (Audio Gallery), DOSITS, University of Rhode Island (Wayback Machine copy). Supports: 189 underwater dB.
source level of a vocalizing Antarctic blue whale has been estimated to be 189 underwater dB
Checked 2026-11-02. - What are common underwater sounds?, DOSITS, University of Rhode Island (Wayback Machine copy). Supports: Up to 190 dB; effect on ambient noise.
of up to 190 underwater dB at 1 m. The ambient noise levels at frequencies of 17-20 Hz increase off coastal California during the fall and winter months due to blue and fin whale calls
Checked 2026-11-02.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.