Pearl Krabs (voiced by under-appreciated industry staple Lori Alan) is a vexing character. How can a crab like Eugene Krabs father a literal sperm whale?
The same way SpongeBob and Patrick parented a scallop: with love and determination.
We already took a look at her father, the die-hard capitalist, and Krusty Krab proprietor Mr. Krabs. Check out his article, but now it’s Pearl’s time to shine.
This spunky whale deserves some attention after being snubbed by the video game Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, in which she was not included.
Fun Whale Fact: Pearl did not attend boating school! Being an old-fashioned kind of guy, Mr. Krabs taught Pearl how to drive.
Pearl was probably too busy being in high school for over a decade to make it to Mrs. Puffs’ classes, anyway.
Pearl’s Age and Other Facts
If you aren’t paying close attention to creator Stephen Hillenburg’s show and all of its spinoffs and supplements, you may not know all there is to know about the giant Krabby patty heiress. This article will fix that!
How Old Is Pearl?
There’s only one explicit mention of Pearl’s age in an episode of the show. Remember her birthday party at the Krusty Krab with the boyband Boys Who Cry?
All we need are the lyrics from this undersea One Direction, whom Squidward Tentacles idolizes for some reason.
“It’s all about you, girl! On your sixteenth birthday!” Blamo. There it is. Pearl is 16 years old in the fourth season of the show.
Many years of progress in her co-stars, as well as developments with the Gal Pals (Sandy Cheeks, Karen*, Mrs. Puff, and Pearl), suggest she has gotten older without mention.
*Plankton’s computer wife and the only sensible “person” at the Chum Bucket.
Who Was Mr. Krabs’ Wife/Pearl’s Mother?
Mrs. Krabs’ identity is one of the largest mysteries in Bikini Bottom. Did Pearl’s parents get a divorce? Could Eugene have killed her in secret?
The answer is uncertain; Eugene Krabs wears his missing wife like a scarlet letter.* We know her species, though.
*Shoutout faceless 2009 SpongeBob message user Shannon for this literary comparison. Could Krabs have been having an affair?
The 2000 SpongeBob trivia book revealed that Mr. Krabs’ wife is a sperm whale. It looks like whale genes are dominant.
It’s a relief to know since imagining a crab giving birth to even an infant whale is not something we want to do.
MOTHER OF PEARL! Stephen Hillenburg is a fan of this bit of wordplay; this is why he made it one of Mr. Krabs’ signature lines.
We may never see Mrs. Krabs because that would make this joke too corny.