Porpoises
Spectacled porpoise
See all species Despite very few sightings at sea, the spectacled porpoise is the second most commonly stranded cetacean in Tierra del Fuego in South America. Male Female Calf Maximum length 2.25m 2.05m 1.0m Maximum weight 115kg Unknown Unknown IUCN conservation status: Least concern What do spectacled porpoises look like? One of the larger members…
Read MoreBurmeister’s porpoise
See all species Extensively hunted off the coasts of Peru and Chile, we are fighting to save the Burmeister’s porpoise before it’s too late. Little is known about Burmeister’s porpoises as they are rarely seen in the wild. Agile and graceful, they hardly make a splash as they glide through the surface of the water.…
Read MoreDall’s porpoise
See all species Dall’s porpoise is the largest of all porpoises. They are very active and incredibly fast – reaching swimming speeds of 34 miles per hour (54 km/h). In fact, they look like a black and white blur as they shoot past. The typical splash they create when swimming at high speeds is unique…
Read MoreIndo-Pacific finless porpoise
See all species It was only recently that the ‘finless porpoise’ was split into two distinct species – the ‘Indo-Pacific’ and the ‘narrow-ridged.’ Evidence suggests there may be even more varieties and hence sub – species to come. Other names: Black finless porpoise, Black porpoise, Finless porpoise Male Female Calf Maximum length 1.7m 1.7m 0.75m…
Read MoreNarrow-ridged finless porpoise
See all species It was only recently that the ‘finless porpoise’ was split into two distinct species – the ‘Indo-Pacific’ and the ‘narrow-ridged.’ Within the latter there are even two additional sub-species – the Yangtze finless porpoise (N. a. asiaeorientalis) and the East Asian finless porpoise or Sunameri (N. a. sunameri). This really illustrates the…
Read MoreHarbour porpoise
See all species Cute and compact, harbour porpoises show that good things do come in small packages. The English word ‘porpoise’ is derived from the Latin word for pig – porcus. Rather unflatteringly, the harbour porpoise used to be known as the “puffing pig”, because of the sneeze-like puffing sound it makes when it breathes!…
Read MoreVaquita
See all species Until recently, many people thought vaquitas were mythical creatures as few people had ever seen one. Fishing nets have brought these little porpoises to the brink of extinction. There are only around 10 left and unless urgent action is taken, they will soon be gone forever. Male Female Calf Maximum length 1.45m…
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