Submarines and whales have more in common than you might think. Both operate underwater using complex biological or mechanical systems. If you’re short on time, here’s the key difference: submarines are human-made vehicles designed for stealth and warfare, while whales are highly intelligent marine mammals that have evolved over millions of years.
In this comprehensive 3000 word guide, we’ll compare submarines and whales in detail across categories like anatomy, capabilities, habitat, diet, intelligence, and more. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of what makes these underwater marvels tick.
Anatomy and Physical Characteristics
Submarine Size, Shape and Features
Modern nuclear-powered submarines are complex feats of engineering, designed for stealth and extended underwater operations. Measuring over 500 feet long and weighing over 18,000 tons when submerged, they feature a cylindrical central hull with conning tower and sail structures on top.
Key features include:
- Hydrodynamic teardrop shape for minimizing drag and noise
- State-of-the-art quieting technologies like anechoic tile coating, isolation mounts and suspensions on machinery
- Retractable diving planes and rudders for precise depth and steering control
- “X” type stern diving planes for superior maneuverability
- Onboard nuclear reactor powering steam turbines and electricity generators
- High-capacity batteries for backup silent running
The interiors are meticulously designed with space optimization in mind. Crew quarters, command centers, engine rooms and weapons systems are tightly packed and highly integrated.
Whale Size, Shape and Features
From the mighty blue whale growing over 100 feet long to smaller species like dwarf sperm whales under 9 feet, cetacean anatomy shows unique adaptations for an aquatic environment.
Common anatomical characteristics include:
- Streamlined fusiform shape to reduce drag
- Fluke tails for propulsion instead of rear limbs
- Dorsal fins provide stability
- Thick blubber layer for insulation and buoyancy
- Blowholes on top of the head for breathing air
Instead of gills, whales have lungs and must consciously remember to surface every 20 minutes or so. Their forelimbs have evolved into flippers with vestigial finger bones. Species like sperm whales and beaked whales use specialized forehead organs to echolocate and communicate underwater.
The blue whale’s heart can weigh over 1,300 pounds and pump 60 tons of blood through its body. Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant. Truly amazing creatures!
Capabilities and Technologies
Submarine Mobility, Stealth and Sensing
Modern nuclear-powered submarines have phenomenal capabilities that allow them to move freely across the world’s oceans with stealth and formidable sensing abilities.
- Mobility – Nuclear reactors give submarines virtually unlimited range and endurance underwater, only limited by food supplies for the crew. Their speed and maneuverability allow them to patrol the deepest parts of the ocean.
- Stealth – Advanced techniques like anechoic tile coating, sound isolation of machinery, and emissions control make submarines nearly undetectable. They can lurk unseen in strategic areas to conduct surveillance or launch attacks.
Advanced sonar systems allow submarines to detect surface ships and other submarines at great distances. Optical and electronic periscopes give them visibility while remaining hidden. Some use floating or tethered buoys to collect audio, radio, or radar signals covertly.
Whale Mobility, Stealth and Sensing
Whales have evolved natural capabilities over millions of years that enable their survival in the ocean.
- Mobility – Streamlined bodies and flippered limbs allow whales to swim efficiently for thousands of miles each year. The blue whale can reach 30 mph bursts despite its massive size.
- Stealth – Whales use covert techniques like synchronized diving and passive listening to locate prey and avoid predators. Their flexible bodies and slow movements reduce noise.
Whales have extremely sensitive hearing underwater thanks to wide ear canals and sound reception through their lower jaws. Some use echolocation clicks to sense objects hundreds of feet away. Their eyesight is adapted for both air and water.
| Capability | Submarine | Whale |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Virtually unlimited with nuclear power | Bio-powered endurance with seasonal migration |
| Stealth | Highly engineered design for silence | Natural adaptations for stealth |
| Sensing | Advanced sonar and periscopes | Hearing, vision, echolocation |
Habitat and Environmental Adaptations
Submarine Environmental Tolerances
Modern nuclear submarines are engineered to withstand extreme conditions below the ocean’s surface. Their hulls are constructed using specialized steel alloys that can resist enormous pressure at great depths.
For example, the Seawolf class submarine can operate at 450 meters below sea level, where the water pressure exceeds 4,400 psi (pounds per square inch).
In addition to withstanding crushing pressure, submarines employ ingenious techniques to regulate oxygen levels, remove carbon dioxide, and refresh the air supply while submerged. Oxygen generators use electrolysis to separate water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
Meanwhile, CO2 removal systems employ absorbent materials like lithium hydroxide to capture exhaled CO2. These systems allow submarines to remain underwater for months at a time.
Whale Migration, Diet and Environmental Adaptations
Whales migrate vast distances every year, traveling from cold water feeding grounds to tropical breeding grounds. For example, gray whales embark on the longest migration of any mammal, swimming over 10,000 miles round-trip between Alaska and Mexico annually.
Their migration allows gray whales to take advantage of abundant summer food sources in the arctic while breeding in warm Mexican lagoons in winter.
To make these epic journeys, whales have evolved optimal hydrodynamic body shapes, flippers for propulsion, and tail flukes to dive deep and resurface. Whales also rely on thick blubber for insulation in cold northern waters.
Different species employ specialized feeding strategies, from the baleen plates that filter-feeders like humpback whales use to trap krill and small fish to the echo-location abilities that enable toothed whales like sperm whales to hunt giant squid in the lightless depths.
While whales migrate vast distances, other adaptations like a slowed heartbeat, collapsible lungs, and high red blood cell density allow whales to dive for over an hour and descend over 1,000 meters below the surface to hunt prey.
Their evolutionary adaptations allow whales to thrive across diverse marine environments.
Intelligence and Behavior
Submarine Programming and Autonomy
Modern submarines rely heavily on advanced programming and autonomous systems to operate effectively underwater. Their navigation, sensor, and weapons systems are highly computerized to allow the vessel to run missions with minimal human input.
For example, autonomous routines handle mundane tasks like depth regulation, heading control, and trim adjustment. This allows the crew to focus on mission-critical goals like tracking targets or maneuvering into attack position.
Self-diagnostic systems can also identify problems and take preventative actions without needing operator intervention.
AI assistants are being tested to help submarine commanders by continuously analyzing sensor data to identify threats or opportunities. Having an “extra pair of eyes” reviewing all the inputs from sonar, cameras, and other sensors could prove invaluable during tense missions.
While subs operate independently for some functions, human oversight remains essential. Programmers ensure autonomous routines have fail-safes and operate within tightly constrained parameters. The smartest sub still needs clever officers to handle strategic planning, risk assessment, and decision making.
Whale Cognition and Communication
Research into cetacean intelligence reveals whales and dolphins have surprisingly sophisticated cognitive abilities. Their large brains, complex social bonds, self-recognition, and tool use all indicate advanced intelligence compared to other animals.
For example, sperm whales have the largest brain on Earth, weighing over 17 lbs. They cooperate in social groups with specialized roles to hunt giant squid at extreme depths. Such teamwork shows strategic thinking and communication skills.
Orcas demonstrate problem-solving talents through innovative hunting techniques taught between generations. Each family group develops its own identifiable “culture” around prey capture. This cultural transmission of learned behaviors is seen in human societies too.
Additionally, dolphins and whales use echolocation clicks in creative ways to probe their environment. They can imagine future outcomes of their actions before making a move. This ability to mentally simulate outcomes may exceed the capacity of most mammals.
In short, submarine programming has come a long way in enabling underwater autonomy, but still falls far short of the cognitive abilities displayed by Earth’s largest marine mammals.
Conclusion
In the submarine vs whale matchup, both underwater crafts demonstrate immense capabilities shaped by their very different evolutionary paths. While submarines excel at stealth warfare thanks to human engineering, whales reveal surprisingly advanced intelligence paired with adaptations that enable dynamic ocean living.
In the end, submarines and whales reveal the genius of both nature and humankind for operating in extreme environments. We can appreciate submarines for their technological sophistication while remaining in awe of whales as one of evolution’s greatest achievements.
