Probably the most spectacular thing about blue whales that's bigger than big is the sounds they make. Some of their vocalizations have been recorded as loud as 188 decibels and can be heard as far as 530 mi/848km away. To give you an idea of just how loud 188 decibels is a commercial jet taking off makes a sound of 120 decibels. That makes whales, by far, the loudest living thing anywhere on earth