Background

When you ask people to think of big things, most of us might imagine mountains, tall buildings, and large animals. But there are a lot of things out there that are even bigger than most of us might expect. Have you ever experienced being surprised by the sheer size of something you’ve always thought was relatively small? 

Much of what we see comes through a filter, be it viewpoint or television, or the internet. With this, we do not always get to see things how they really are or get a precise sense of scale. There are things, such as creatures and objects, that may seem to look small in photos until you see them up close in real life.

From natural features to human-made structures to whole countries and even space, there are surely a lot of things that are way bigger than one would think. If you are interested to learn more about these, you’re in the right place. In this article, we are going to explore some of the things that are way bigger than one would think based on various categories, such as nature, architecture, technology, and more. With this, get ready to be amazed by the incredible sizes of some of the most fascinating objects and creatures in the world.

Creatures That Are Way Bigger Than You Think

There are a lot of amazing creatures in the animal kingdom, from the smallest insects to the largest mammals. But some of them are much bigger than most of us might expect. Whether it is because of their deceptive appearance, their skill to camouflage, or simply how rare they are, they can certainly fascinate people with their impressive size. Below are some examples of creatures that are way bigger than you think:

A Full-Grown Wombat

A wombat is a large, stocky creature found in open plains, mountains, and forests in Australia and nearby islands. Like kangaroos and koalas, they are marsupials or pouched mammals. They feature stocky round bodies with grayish brown fur, short, powerful legs, and strong, sharp claws that help them dig well.

Adult wombats can grow to around 3 feet long or more, which is quite similar to a medium-sized dog, and may weigh from 55 to 88 pounds. [1] This is surprising as wombats may seem small when you search for their pictures on the internet. But when you put them side by side with a human, you will realize that it is bigger than what you expect. Also, did you know that fossil records show a species of giant wombat about thrice the size of today’s wombats used to roam the planet? That is gigantic!

A Giant African Land Snail

The Giant African land snail is the usual name used to define any of three snail species native to Africa. They are considered serious agricultural pests in the United States. When you think about snails, you’d imagine a small creature that eats leaves on plants. But you’d be surprised how big a Giant African land snail is. They are large, terrestrial snails that may reach up to 20 centimeters or 8 inches in length and 10 centimeters or 4 inches in maximum diameter. [2] They are about the size of an average-size adult fist. They feature a brownish shell with darker brown vertical stripes that cover at least half their length.

A Giant Leatherback Sea Turtle

Sea turtles are commonly small creatures that you can find by the beach. But have you seen one that is bigger than you? The giant leatherback sea turtle is the largest living sea turtle. It weighs between 550 to 2,000 pounds with lengths up to 6 feet. It can be distinguished from other species of sea turtles by its lack of a hard shell or scales. Instead, it is covered with firm, rubbery skin. They are mostly found in southeast Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. [3]

A Saltwater Crocodile

When we think of a crocodile, most of us would imagine the normal size that is commonly seen in ponds, coves, and creeks in mangrove swamps. But did you know that there are very big crocodiles that exist? The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile on the planet. It can reach lengths of more than 23 feet or 6.5 meters, and it weighs more than 2,200 pounds or almost 1,000 kilos. [4] They are capable of eating just about any animal that strays too close. They are also particularly adept at drowning terrestrial creatures like birds and mammals.

A Moose

The moose is the largest and heftiest living member of the deer family. It is also the tallest living species of deer. At the shoulders, a moose is around 5 to 6.5 feet tall. The Alaskan subspecies are the largest and the tallest among all the races. It stands more than 6 feet 11 inches or 2.1 meters tall at the shoulder.

When you compare a moose with humans, it is much higher than even the tallest humans in the world. Robert Wadlow of the United States was the tallest human at 8 feet 11 inches. When the head and antlers of the moose are also measured, the total height reaches more than 10 feet. When compared with a Corolla Altis car, a moose is taller and heavier, but a car is longer and wider. [5]

Objects That Are Way Bigger Than You Think

There are objects that can be so enormous that it is challenging to grasp just how big they really are unless they are placed side by side with another object. If you want to learn more about these, below are some of the objects that are way bigger than you think:

A Traffic Light

A traffic light is something that keeps cars, SUVs, and trucks moving in an orderly way. When you view them while driving, they may seem small in size. The size of each one can differ depending on where it needs to be placed. While they may seem small when suspended in midair, even a traffic light lens is bigger than you realize.

Each lens is as big as the average human’s head, or 9.5 inches wide and 6 inches deep. When you stack them on top of each other, a traffic light measures 30 inches tall or almost 3 feet in height. There are also some three-traffic lights that are even bigger, measuring 42 inches tall or 3.5 feet in height. It means that a traffic light is just a bit smaller than a person. [6]

Road Signs

Did you know that road signs are also larger than most of us think? Since we are usually in our vehicles and at a distance when we see road signs, it is easy to underplay their size. The words on interstate guide signs are around 15 to 20 inches tall, and the signs themselves can be around 40 to 45 feet wide. [7] While most of us figure it is a small sign, these road signs could possibly crush a car.  

Michael Angelo’s David in Florence, Italy

Michael Angelo’s David is among the most recognized works of renaissance sculpture. It has become a symbol of both strength and youthful human beauty. When we see it in pictures online, the sculpture may seem small or average in size, just like other sculptures of people in other places. But did you know that Michael Angelo’s David is a massive 17 feet tall sculpture that is over 12,000 pounds? It is roughly the size of a 2-story building or an adult giraffe. [9] It was originally intended to be placed in a ceiling niche of the Florence Cathedral. That’s why it had to be sizable enough to be viewed from the pews below.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza. It originally stood about 482 feet or 147 meters high with four equal sizes, each measuring around 755 feet or 230 meters. [10] Imagine how big it is when a person stands beside it. It would be the height of around 80 or more people who are all six-foot tall.

A Wind Turbine Blade

We often see wind turbines in open fields where the wind is always strong. When we view these turbines from afar, most of us would think that they are just as big as the common posts that we see on roads. But did you know that just its blades are bigger than most of us think? The blades of a wind turbine vary in size, but a standard modern land-based wind turbine has blades of more than 170 feet or 52 meters. The largest wind turbine is GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, and it has blades that are 351 feet or 107 meters long, which is about the same length as a football field. [11] Imagine how big that is when you stand beside it.

Modern Cruise Ships

When you see cruise ships sailing along the sea, you may view them as small because of the distance. But when you get up close or near one, you will be surprised at how massive they are. The size of an average modern cruise ship is 1,000 feet long with a gross tonnage of 120,000 GT and can accommodate 3,000 guests.

The Titanic is way smaller than the modern cruise ships today. It is only 882.75 feet long and 92.5 feet wide. It has a gross tonnage of 46,329 GT and a capacity of 21,831. The largest modern cruise ship today is the Icon of the Seas, and it is 34% longer, 36% higher, and more than twice as wide and has five times the internal volume of the Titanic. [15] Imagine how big that is.

Natural Things That Are Way Bigger Than You Think

The natural world is also full of wonders that are truly amazing. From towering mountains to vast oceans, the size and complexity of our planet are indeed awe-inspiring. But there are a lot of natural things that are way bigger than most of us expect. To learn more about these, below are some natural things that are way bigger than you think:

Fully Inflated Horse Lungs

On average, humans at rest inhale around 0.5 liters of air with each normal breath. When we breathe deeply, that number may increase nearly tenfold, allowing us to take in almost five liters of air with one breath. But what about horses? Human and horse lungs have a lot of similarities. However, their size and capacities are different. At rest, an average horse can draw in around five liters or 1.3 gallons of air. With around 12 breaths per minute, that is about 60 liters of air moving into and out of their lungs every minute. It’s because the lung capacity of a horse is 55 liters, compared to humans with only a 6-liter lung capacity. [8] Imagine how big a horse’s lung is.

A Blue Whale’s Heart

Did you know that blue whales have the biggest hearts on the planet? Their hearts weigh more than 1,000 pounds, which is the weight of an average dairy cow. It can pump around 60 gallons of blood with every beat, compared to a human heart which can only pump about 2.4 ounces of blood with each beat. When its size is measured, it is approximately 5 feet or 1.5 meters long from the top of the aorta to the lowest chamber. [12] That sure is a big heart.

Giant Sequoia Trees

In photos, giant sequoia trees may seem normal tall trees. But you will be surprised when you see one in person. These trees may grow to be about 30 feet or 9 meters in diameter and over 250 feet or 76 meters tall. One of the tallest is General Sherman, found in Sequoia National Park, which stands 275 feet or 84 meters tall. Its circumference is 102 feet or 31 meters, and it weighs 2.7 million pounds or 1.2 million kilograms. [13] Can you imagine how tiny a person will be beside a giant sequoia tree?

Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is the largest cave in the world, and it is found in Vietnam. The size of the cave is bigger than what most people imagine. It measures a total of 38.5 million cubic meters or about 1.35 cubic feet. [14] Any cave in the world would fit well inside this cave. In fact, it is big enough to accommodate 40-story buildings reaching heights of 650 feet.

Waterfalls

When you look at waterfalls in pictures or from afar, they appear to be small or average in size. However, when you go near them, you will realize that they are bigger than you thought. For instance, the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela. It has a height of 3,212 feet or 979 meters. [15] Imagine how big and high that is when you stand at the bottom.

Conclusion

Our world is indeed full of amazing things that are much bigger than what most of us might expect. Whether it is the natural features of our planet, the impressive inventions of human engineering, or the vastness of space, there are surely a lot of things to discover and explore. By opening our minds to the massiveness of the world around us, we can appreciate the incredible scale and intricacy of our planet and even the universe beyond. Therefore, next time you come across something that may seem small, keep in mind that there may be more to it than meets the eye. We hope this post helped you learn more about the things that are way bigger than one would think.

References

[1] National Geographic. (2020). Wombat. National Geographic. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/common-wombat

[2] Indiana State Government. (2022, August 17). Giant African land snails. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.in.gov/dnr/entomology/regulatory-information/giant-african-land-snails/

[3] US Department of Commerce, N. O. and A. A. (2010, June 1). What is the largest sea turtle? NOAA’s National Ocean Service. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/leatherback.html  

[4] Oceana. (2023, March 10). Saltwater Crocodile. Oceana. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://oceana.org/marine-life/saltwater-crocodile/

[5] Zooologist. (2023, February 14). How tall is a moose – how big is a moose. Zooologist. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://zooologist.com/how-tall-is-a-moose/

[6] DeWitt, H. (2022, April 27). How big are traffic lights? taller than a lot of people. GetJerry.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://getjerry.com/auto-news/how-big-are-traffic-lights#how-big-is-the-average-traffic-light-lens

[7] Joslin, D. (2023). 7 things you didn’t know about traffic signs – nuegov. NueGov. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from http://info.nuegov.com/blog/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-traffic-signs

[8] Flair Editors. (2020, April 14). Horse lungs vs. human lungs: Learn about horse lung health. FLAIR Strips. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://flairstrips.com/blog/horse-lungs-vs-human-lungs-learn-about-horse-lung-health/

[9] Context Travel, E. (2020). 10 facts about Michelangelo’s statue of David in Florence, Italy. Ten Facts about the Statue of David – Context Travel. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.contexttravel.com/blog/articles/ten-facts-about-the-statue-of-david

[10] Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023, March 2). Great Pyramid of giza. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Pyramid-of-Giza

[11] Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. (2020). How a wind turbine works – text version. Energy.gov. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-wind-turbine-works-text-version  

[12] Gallagher, D. (2015, August 21). Just how big is a Blue Whale’s heart? see for yourself. CNET. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.cnet.com/science/just-how-big-is-a-blue-whales-heart-find-out-in-this-video/

[13] Szalay, J. (2017, May 5). Giant sequoias and redwoods: The largest and tallest trees. LiveScience. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.livescience.com/39461-sequoias-redwood-trees.html

[14] Springer, K. (2019, May 20). World’s biggest cave is even bigger than we thought. CNN. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/son-doong-cave-vietnam-expedition/index.html  

[15] Fielding, J. (2023, February 17). How big is a cruise ship? (2022). Cruise Mummy. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-big-is-a-cruise-ship/