Too Big To Comprehend: The Largest Things On Earth
The average height of a human is five-foot-nine. Compared to other things in the world, like a 250-foot tall tree, or a cave that is 5.25 million cubic feet in volume, that is very, very small.
When you learn about the largest things in the world--from buildings to animals to waterfalls--your perspective will change.
Sequoias Are The Tallest Trees Ever Known
Sequoias are the largest trees in the world, especially the ones that grow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. On average, sequoias can grow up to 250 feet tall and 26 feet wide. However, some of these trees are even larger.
The General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree in the world, stands at 275 feet tall and over 36 feet wide. The second tallest is the General Grant Tree at 267 feet tall and 29 feet wide. Even crazier--sequoias live up to 3,000 years old!
Jackfruit Can Weigh Up To 120 Pounds
Although certain fruits are purposefully grown to be massive, in nature, jackfruit is the biggest fruit. Each fruit can be around two feet long and weight up to 120 pounds. They also stem from the largest fruit trees in the world, which stretch between 30 and 50 feet high. Depending on the age of the tree, it can produce between 200 and 500 fruits every year.
Jackfruit is called "vegetable meat" because, when canned, it has the texture of meat. However, the fruit is sweet and has a musky smell. Even so, jackfruit is popularly used as a meat substitute, as it can be shredded like chicken or pork.
Any Other Cave Can Fit Inside This Cave
If you were to explore Vietnam's Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, you might happen across the world's largest natural cave. This is Hang Sơn Đoòng, which measures 1.35 billion cubic feet and an extra 5.25 million cubic feet in volume.
Hang Sơn Đoòng is twice as large as the world's second-biggest cave. Dating back between between two and five million years old, it formed from soluble limestone. Cave expert Howard Limbert told CNN Travel, "Any cave in the world will be able to fit comfortably inside Song Dong...it's just outrageous in size.
This Massive Bird No Longer Exists
Nowadays, the largest bird in the world is the ostrich. But the Argentavis, which lived in Argentina around six million years ago, put ostriches to shame. These now-extinct birds had a wingspan of up to 21 feet and a body length of 11 feet.
Argentavis, also called the Giant Teratorn, stood at five feet tall. They had eagle-like beaks and preyed on large rodents, armadillos, and giant sloths. They could kill and eat their prey without landing. Oddly enough, their eggs were smaller than the ostrich egg.
The Largest Desert In The World: Antarctica
Believe it or not, the world's largest desert is not the Sahara; it is the Antarctic desert. According to NASA, Antarctica is technically a desert because it rarely rains or snows there. When it snows, the ice hardens into sheets, forming a "polar desert."
The Antarctic desert covers 5.5 million square miles. Some people walk across Antarctica from the Ronnie Ice Shelf to the South Pole, a total of 651 miles. Even that takes around 65 days--only ten miles a day. You could not cross all of Antarctica in your lifetime.
The World's Biggest Flower Is A Parasite
The largest flower in the world is called the rafflesia arnoldii, which grows in the forests of Indonesia, specifically Sumatra and Borneo. Is can grow up to three feet long and weigh 15 pounds. The weirdest part? It is a parasitic plant.
The rafflesia arnoldii has no stem, leaves, or roots. It attaches itself to other flowers' stems and sucks away water and nutrients, like a vampire. These flowers do not smell pleasant, either. It smells like rotting meat, which attracts insects that help it pollinate.
The Highest Waterfall Is Underwater
Believe it or not, the world's highest waterfall is actually underwater. The Denmark Strait cataract, which is on the side of the Denmark Strait, falls 11,500 feet into the ocean. By contrast, the tallest above-water waterfall is 3,212 feet (Angel Falls in Venezuela).
Underwater waterfalls occur from different densities of water. In the Denmark Strait cataract, colder, denser water falls beneath the warmer, lighter water. The flow exceeds 175 million cubic feet, three times more voluminous than Victoria Falls. In Danish and Norwegian, the waterfall is called "the Greenland Pump."
The Largest Animal Ever Known Is Still Alive
If we were to compare every animal in history, the largest animal is one that is still alive today. The blue whale grows up to 102 feet long and 25 feet wide at the tail fin. Plus, they each weigh around 190 tons.
To give a comparison, a blue whale could be composed of 40 elephants or 2,670 average-sized men. In 2015, PBS posted a video showing a researcher crouching inside of a blue whale's heart aorta. Every heartbeat pumps 58 gallons of blood across the body.
The World's Biggest Statue Contains A Museum
The world's tallest statue stands in Gujarat, India. It is called the Statue of Unity, and it depicts India's first Deputy Prime Minister after becoming an independent state, Vallabhbhai Patel. At 597 feet tall, it is far higher than the second-largest statue, the Spring Temple Buddha (420 feet).
The project began in 2010 and cost around $422 million to complete. It stands on the Sadhu Bet river island surrounded by 7.5 miles of artificial lake, which makes it visible from space. And yes, the statue is accessible to the public as it has a museum inside of it.
Don't Get Caught In The World's Largest Whirlpool
The Maelstrom Whirlpool, between Norway and the Arctic Circle, is the largest and strongest whirlpool in the world. Lying in the middle of a strait, this whirlpool is 490 feet wide. The second-largest whirlpool, Old Sow in Maine, is 250 feet wide.
The Maelstrom Whirlpool becomes the most terrifying in March, when tides are at their highest. Then, the waters can travel up to 23 miles per hour. Water funnels into the whirlpool at least four times a day, which widens and shrinks the width of the strait.
Here Is The World's Largest Organism, Period
The oldest and largest organism on earth lives in the Malheur National Forest, Oregon. It is larger than a whale and covers over 1,500 acres. And it's only a mushroom--the Armillaria ostoyae or honey mushroom.
This is not one mushroom head that sticks through the surface. It is actually a long series of mushrooms called a mycelium. Throughout its 8,650-year life, the Armillaria ostoyae spread its tendrils through the soil and wood and poked up periodically. One study found that this fungus exists inside at least 112 trees.
The Largest Lake Is A Sea
If you categorize lakes as inland bodies of water, then the Caspian Sea is the largest. As the world's biggest inland body of water, the Caspian Sea spans 143,000 square miles and is 19,000 cubic miles deep. It is so big that it leaks into five countries: Kazakhstan in the northeast, Russia in the northwest, Azerbaijan in the southwest, Iran in the south, and Turkmenistan in the east.
Ferries that cross the Caspian Sea can take between three to five days to get to their destination. Despite being so massive, this lake has only one-third of the salt that the ocean does.
Would You Ascend All 154 Floors?
If you are scared of heights, do not travel to the top of Burj Khalifa, Dubai. This is the tallest building in the world at 2,722 feet high and 154 floors. That's taller than some mountains.
This concrete skyscraper was built in 2004 and finished in 2009. It was part of a mission called Downtown Dubai, which paved space for more companies to enter the city and diversity the oil-based economy. Designer Adrian Smith designed it with a combination of Islamic architecture and the Tower Palace III, a luxury skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea.
This Is The Largest Structure Made By Living Organisms
The world's largest structure made by living organisms is not a skyscraper or building. It is the Great Barrier Reef. Spanning over 1,429 miles, the Great Barrier Reef was built by coral polyps that secrete calcium carbonate. These chemicals harden and eventually form reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef lies off the northeastern coast of Australia and is the world's largest reef. Since 1981, the reef has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of the world. It houses over 411 types of hard coral, 134 species of sharks and rays, 30 species of marine mammals, and six of the world's seven threatened turtle species.
The Biggest Home In The World Is Also A Skyscraper
The largest house in the world also happens to be a 27-story skyscraper. The house is named Antilia, after the phantom island that was said to lie near Portugal and Spain. Spanning 400,000 square feet, this private home has a 168-car garage, a 50-seat theater, and nine high speed elevators.
Currently, the house is owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who has been living in it since 2012. As of May 2020, the house is worth $2.2 billion, the second most valuable residence behind Buckingham Palace. You can find it in Mumbai, India.
You Couldn't Squash The World's Largest Insect
The largest insect ever to live is the dragonfly--not the modern dragonfly, but the prehistoric Giant Dragonfly. The meganeuropsis had a wingspan of 28 inches and a body length of 17 inches long. That's about the length of a medium-sized dog such as an American Terrier.
Giant Dragonflies roamed the skies before birds and dinosaurs even evolved. They were not true dragonflies as we know today, but another species called griffinflies. Scientists still debate over how the meganeuropsis grew so large, but some theorize that it could be due to high levels of oxygen in the air.
It Takes Two Hours To Cross The World's Longest Bridge
Currently, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge holds the record for the longest bridge in the world. This Chinese bridge connects Shanghai and Nanjing, passing lakes, rice fields, rivers, and more. It is 102.4 miles long and 30 feet wide, and it takes two hours to cross. Before it was built, it took 4.5 hours to get from Shanghai to Nanjing.
Danyang–Kunshan is a viaduct bridge, meaning that it requires periodic columns or arches to hold it up. The second-longest bridge, also in China, is the Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct at 97.8 miles.
The World's Largest Flying Animal Looks Like A Plane
While the world's largest bird had a wingspan of 21 feet, the biggest flying animal's wingspan is 36 feet. This is the Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaurs dinosaur. It also stretches around 36 feet long and and weighs 550 pounds, making it similar in size to a plane.
Researchers still do not know much about the Quetzalcoatlus. Feeding theories have ranged from scavenging to picking up fish to even chasing land animals on foot. However, experts agree that the Quetzalcoatlus could likely fly up to 80 miles per hour.
The Longest Road Tunnel Spans Over 15 Miles
The world's longest underground road is called the Lærdal Tunnel. This tunnel connects Lærdal and Aurland in Norway. At 15.23 miles long, the Lærdal Tunnel sees over 2,000 vehicles every day.
Although the tunnel is lined with lights, it still looks quite dark. Construction began in 1995 and ended in 2000, costing over $113 million. If you were to drive through it, you would be in the dark for about 18 minutes. Frighteningly, there are not many safety exists inside.
This Rock Is Tall Enough To Be A Mountain
You've probably heard about the world's largest mountain, but what about the biggest rock? The largest single rock in the world is called Uluru, or Ayers Rock. This hunk of sandstone in Northern Australia is 1,142 feet high.
Oddly enough, Uluru is tall enough to be considered a mountain (the cutoff being over 1,000 feet). But because it is a single sandstone formation, it is not a mountain. Uluru is a World Heritage Site, as the area around is features springs, caves, waterholes, and ancient paintings from the native Pitjantjatjara people.
You Caught a Pokemon
We're fairly certain this hickory horned devil is really the Pokemon Caterpie. How is it possible for a caterpillar to grow up to 5-inches long? I would hate to see one of those crawling up a tree during the summer. Good news is that I don’t live in North America’s deep south where this species is considered to be common.
They don't stay this big forever, and at the end of their caterpillar stage, these big boys transform into regal moths.
That's a whole lot of nope
Imagine a peaceful day. You're out fishing with a buddy and drinking a few beers. Then THAT swims up next to, what you thought was a decently sized boat. You’re not rocking beer goggles, a Blue Whale three-times the size of the little vessel is right next to you.
A fully grown male can grow up to 29.9-meters long and weigh up to 330,000 pounds. These marine mammals are the largest known species on record. Long story short, everyone stays on the boat!
Peter Cottontail Has Been Eating His Wheaties
Who needs a dog when you can have a huge, domesticated Flemish Giant rabbit hopping around the house? Those paws look to be as big as a medium-sized Border Collie! Even though this specific rabbit looks a bit annoyed with the photo-op, these creatures are docile and patient beings that are commonly kept as pets.
At 15-pounds and 4-feet long, they're a perfect size. Raise your hand if you wouldn’t mind this big boy hopping into your lap for a movie night!
Coconut Crabs vs. Doggo
Also known as the robber crab or palm thief, these crabs, funnily enough, are a species of the terrestrial hermit crab. Ironic considering hermit crabs can fit in the palm of your hand. Coconut crabs, on the other hand, weight up to 9 pounds and can grow to be a little over three feet from leg to leg. That's as big as your math teacher’s yardstick!
The good news is that these creatures are sparse in heavily human-populated areas.
A Fox With Wings or Bat?
Bram Stoker called, he'd like his Dracula bat back. Although, if you take the 5-foot wings away, the giant golden-crowned flying fox does resemble a fox more than a bat. They even have the pretty golden-brown fur of a fox, along with a pointed snout and ears.
I guess the scientists who named this species knew what they were doing! Sadly, these flying giants are endangered due to poachers and competition with humans for their main source of food: fruit.
Just a Baby Ghost Crab to Brighten Your Day
It's so tiny! I don’t want to think about how many of these creatures I’ve stepped on at the beach. Especially considering they’re able to change color to match their environment depending on the time of day.
Ghost crabs are common shore crabs, meaning they like to live and hunt on the sand instead of in the ocean. Although I’m not entirely sure how much food this guy would actually fit into its mouth. Eating probably takes hours!
King Of The Trees
If this tree falls in the forest while no one is around, does it make a sound? I would think so! These massive trees grow 379-feet tall and 29-feet in diameter, making for one loud forest-floor "BOOM!"
Redwood trees are some of the oldest tree species on Earth, living up to more than 1,800 years. If I lived that long I'd probably turn into a tree. These beautiful trees can be found mostly along the coast of northern California and Oregon.
A Clean Anchor Makes For A Happy Ocean
Here's to hoping this gigantic anchor doesn’t hit anything on the head on its way down to the seafloor. Not only can anchors weight up to 30 tons, but the links of its chain can weigh up to 500-pounds each. Talk about a broken noggin if you get caught under that weight.
With the different speeds of surface and underwater currents, it’s no wonder ships need to have anchors of this magnitude. No need to drift off to sea!
The Mountain and His Lady
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, or The Mountain from Game of Thrones, is a professional strongman. Hitting an impressive 6-feet 9-inches and weighing an incredible 440 pounds, this beast of a human shrinks anyone who stands next to him. That includes his wife, Kelsey Henson and the random guy walking behind them in this photo (even if he is a few feet in the background).
Hopefully, Björnsson learned early on how to hug his other half without crushing her!
Who Knew Something Could Be Dwarfed By A Grain Of Rice
Yea, this tiny computer is in a picture, and I already feel myself losing it. That's because this microscopic gizmo is scaled next to a grain of rice. To put it more mathematically, a single grain of rice can range from 5 to 7-millimeters long, while the computer measures a whopping 0.33-millimeters on each side.
How does one ever keep track of that gadget? I would bet money that even the most responsible person would misplace it!
This Lion's Mane Stings
I wonder if Marlin would be as used to these jellyfish stings as he is with the normal-sized jellies in Finding Nemo. Lion's mane jellyfish are the largest of their species, getting to be as long as 120-feet.
I’m a water person, but if I ever saw those long tentacles and huge bell swimming under me I would be sprinting towards the shoreline. Somehow, these giant sea creatures are not toxic to humans. Yay for that small mercy!
Anaconda Don't Want None…
Nope. All of South America needs to be evacuated from any and all places anaconda's reside. These snakes can grow upwards to 25-feet in length with 550 pounds of muscle. That’s large enough to overpower a fully grown crocodile. Have I said nope already?
Even though these creatures are more agile in the water, I still think that worker is standing way too close to its head for the sole reason of getting a picture for Instagram.
Surf's up dude!
Even though they're not harmful to humans, I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t freak out if I saw this leatherback turtle swimming under me. I mean, they can grow upwards to 7-feet and weigh1,540 pounds. That’s just too much creature for comfort.
Not exactly the cute, green, hardshell sea turtle one would typically picture. Albeit terrifying, seeing this leathery guy in the wild would surely be quite the experience!
Planning Your Attack On Your Food
Now this baby turtle is more my speed, and it's not just because he is staring at that raspberry exactly as I stare at chocolate lava cake. Okay, maybe the like-mindedness makes me feel for the little guy. It can’t be easy being a small turtle in this big world. Way too many predators to be wary of — Killer whales anyone?
As long as he keeps staring intently at that little berry, we’ll make sure he stays safe!
Just a Normal Beach Day In Ireland
I've found busted-up frisbees, abandoned pens, and every form of plastic imaginable, but never have I stumbled across something as memorizing as this gigantic piece of driftwood. As Instagram-worthy as this driftwood is, it makes you wonder where it could have possibly come from.
There are trees on a mountain in the background of the photo. Perhaps it fell off the top ages ago and just now made its way back to shore? Oh, the questions that keep me up at night.
Time to start praying
Excuse me while I go faint. Having to sneeze would be such a predicament on this rock face. I'm not sure if the name, Thank God Ledge, is appropriate or just downright ironic. I’d have named it "Oh, God" because that is the only thing that would be coming out of my mouth. Well, besides the distinct sound of my impending hyperventilation.
I hope all of the adrenaline junkies know what they’re doing free-climbing this zero-barrier, 5-12-inch wide ledge.
Tibetan Mastiffs Can Weigh Up To 160 lbs
Standing on its own, this dog looks big, but you really see just how big it is when this woman is beside them! This dog is a Tibetan Mastiff, an ancient flock guardian dog breed that can be found around China, Tibet, Nepal and Central Asia.
They have gorgeous, fluffy coats and can reach a height of 33 inches! Generally they weigh between 100-160 lbs. They're protective of their owners so if you want a big fluffy guard dog, a Tibetan Mastiff might be for you!
A Mama Hippo And Her Baby
Hippopotamus are large animals! On average, adult males weigh 3,310 lbs and females weigh 2,870 lbs. Even though they're big creatures, they’re able to run an impressive 30 mph. However when they’re young, hippos can be pretty small!
Take a look at this baby with her mama. When hippos are about to give birth, they retreat to be alone, and return after 10-14 days. Baby hippos are born underwater and weight between 55 and 110 lbs at birth.
A Giant Wild Boar Looking For A Snack
Take a look at this wild boar! This big boar and their offspring were spotted going through a dumpster in Hong Kong. Not just any dumpster, but one alongside an elementary school! Hopefully whoever took this photo warned the school that there was a big hungry boar outside.
Wild boars are so strong, they can lift 40-50 lb rocks with their snouts. Males average 165-220 lbs in weight with canine teeth as long as 4.7 inches.
Giant Squids Are Seriously Giant…Like, Seriously Big
As if the ocean isn't already a scary enough place, giant squids are here to remind us when they occasionally wash ashore like this one did. They can grow to huge sizes as big at 43feet for a male and 33feet for a female!
Giant squids have long been a part of ancient lore and in the 1800s many scientists reported "strandings" of giant squids but it wasn’t until 2004 that a giant squid was photographed in its natural habitat.
That Glass Better Keep Her Safe
Well, we sure hope there aren't people out there trying to hunt for one of these beasts! Whoever is the predator to crocodiles this big scare us even more!
We know that the woman inside that glass tank isn’t afraid, or else she wouldn’t have done it, but we’re scared for her. If anything were to happen it’s almost a sure thing that she would become this croc’s lunch. Hopefully, you don’t ever have to encounter anything like this.
Giant Wombat
The wombat this woman has in her possession is larger than life. It's just about as big as her, and that’s for sure. We wonder if it easily intimidates any of the other animals it encounters.
This thing almost looks like it could be a Pokemon. All it needs is some special attacks and a cool name. Coming into contact with one of these would likely send us into shock for a couple of seconds.
That's The Heart Of A…
What you see here is the heart of a blue whale. This creature is massive so it makes sense that the heart would be three times the size of a full-grown human being.
In fact, this is the size of a Ford Fiesta! A heart that's as big as a car is mind-boggling. To get all the blood going through their bodies, this is the only size heart that would be acceptable to have for a blue whale.
Money Never Looked Smaller
What we have here is the same amount in $100 and $1 bills. The big stack is what you figure the money-makers take with them to the explicit clubs, and the small stack is what you take home after a good night at the casino.
They're both the same amount so it doesn’t matter either way. The only difference is you’d have to do a whole lot more counting if you’re dealing with the $1 bills opposed to the $100.
The Sun Is Large
Think about how long it takes for a flight from one coast to the other coast. It takes a while and we start to think that the Earth is this vast sphere.
The truth is, the Earth is smaller than many other planets and the sun. What you're looking at is the number of Earth’s that would be able to fit inside our solar system’s sun! That’s insane, isn’t it? That’s why we get so hot in the summer.
Would You Look At That!
Some people despise birds. Others think they aren't real. Well, just be lucky that you weren’t alive whenever the largest flying creature to live was around, regardless of how you feel about winged creatures.
This guy is at least four times taller than the man standing next to it. With one gulp, it can swallow that person and maybe even three extra. Imagine if this thing was still out there somewhere. How would we be able to live with it?
One Giant Statue
Pieces of art from the Renaissance to the Romanticism era were all intriguing. It's not like artwork these days isn’t, but artists back then had a different outlook on life and less technology.
One of the greats of all-time, Michelangelo, created this David. We don’t know what scale he used, but what if David was really this big? He’s towering over the construction worker to the point that she needs assistance trying to do anything with the beast.
Des griffes énormes
It's a warm summer day and you’re taking a stroll through the park, minding your business. You hear the birds chirping, you see the squirrels climbing, then out of nowhere you see the winged creature.
It’s an eagle and it looks hungry. The eagle swoops down and scoops up a mouse with its large talons! You don’t ever have to wonder again how they’re able to pick up small dogs after seeing this. They’re probably capable of picking up toddlers as well.
Watch Out For The Traffic Light!
Okay, we always drive past these things that hang in the air, but since they're so high up, we have no way of telling how large they are. With this image, now we do.
We had no clue that these things were so massive! The infrastructure that holds them up need to be secure or else the traffic light can come crashing down. If one of these lands on your car, your car is toast.
Would You Eat This One?
Grab your salt, ladies and gentlemen, we've found you the ultimate snail. We’re so used to seeing tiny snails crawl across the dew-filled grass, if we came across one of these, we wouldn’t know what to do!
This lady seems to be fine holding it up with one hand. We wonder if the size of it makes it faster or did it get slower? Hopefully, it became faster so it can get away from anyone in the mood for snail.
