The Largest Underwater Creature Recorded In History Is Older Than The Steam Engine

The mention of giant underwater creatures usually brings to mind mythological monsters. The great kraken, ancient leviathans, and if that fossil of a creature with 45 arms is a real-life Cthulhu. As a society, we are fascinated with big monsters that swim in the ocean's mostly unexplored depths.

An expedition began in October of 2024 in the Solomon Islands, which are northeast of Australia. This extended mission sent a team of scientists and filmmakers to broaden our understanding of the islands' local ecosystems and to study their health in this time of climate change. The expedition was led through a partnership with National Geographic Pristine Seas, Ocean12, the Government of the Solomon Islands, and the Solomon Islands Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.

The expedition discovered what is now considered the largest underwater creature. However, it's not as fearsome as you might think. Instead, it is a beautiful coral called Pavona clavus. This particular coral is bigger and has lived longer than the largest animal on Earth.

Pavona clavus coral is also known as shoulder blade coral due to its shape, and the one found in the Solomon Islands is 300 years old. Sitting about 42 feet below the surface of the ocean, the coral measures 112 by 105 feet and is up to 16 feet in height. It is large enough to be seen from space and is the biggest coral colony ever found. The scientists estimated it to be made up of one billion polyps.

Enric Sala is a National Geographic Explorer in Residence and also the founder of Pristine Seas, which helps protect oceans around the world. In a statement about the coral discovery to National Geographic, Sala said, "Finding this mega coral is like discovering the tallest tree on earth." He also stated, "This discovery rekindles our sense of awe and wonder about the ocean."

Despite concerns about climate change impacting coral, the expedition team was relieved to discover that this coral was in good health. Local island communities have informally cared for and protected the waters around the islands for over a decade. The hope is that, with this new exciting discovery, official support on a large scale can be implemented. This would help protect not only this coral from damage but also the entire surrounding ecosystem. In this time of ecosystem damage and concern over a sixth mass extinction event, this type of protection is critical.

The coral is larger than a blue whale, which has an average length of 82 to 105 feet. Blue whales also live up to about 90 years, making this coral far older. The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, accounting for both length and weight. Though fossils may have found a new, biggest animal in history, as of this expedition's discovery, this coral takes the blue whale's place.

Another underwater giant is the lion's mane jellyfish. Though the main body of it is quite small and extremely buoyant, being 94% water, its tentacles can grow up to 120 feet in length. While that is longer than the coral lengthwise, it is not as wide. It also does not reach the 16-foot height this coral achieves.

Some of the other giants of the water that can't match the size of the coral include the sperm whale at 78 feet long, the whale shark at 61 feet long, and the basking shark at 40 feet long. This coral is truly massive, crossing a great distance and reaching quite tall. With its long life, it has seen the events of decades come and go. Hopefully, it will still be with us for a long time to come.