In fact, 236 decibels is so loud that a sound of that intensity cannot exist in air. Above 194 decibels, sound waves turn into pressure waves. Although decibels are used to measure sound intensity in both air and water, the intensity of sound in both of these mediums differs. In other words, a decibel is a relative unit of measure. (For instance, an 80-decibel sound will be quieter in water than it is in air.) But this distinction doesn’t make sperm whale clicks any less impressive, or lethal. Even underwater, sperm whale clicks are so loud they could not only blow out human eardrums from
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