Harbor Porpoise

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Harbor Porpoise
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Thank you for visiting Harbor Porpoise. We are an all volunteer site. We try to provide you with the most complete information we can about different kinds of fish. We update our sources constantly. Please scroll down to learn more.

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Harbour Porpoise
The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) are small and elusive reaching lengths of only 1.7m (5'6"). They are grey above and white below with a triangular dorsal fin, small spoon-shaped teeth and a blunt snout. They are not attracted to motorized vessel or are particularly active at the surface. They prefer herring and other fish approximately 15cm (6") in length. Calves remain with their mothers for about six months. Their first solid food is usually krill.
Porpoises dive for no more than five minutes with most dives between two-three minutes, and do not have a visible blow unless the right conditions of light, humidity or temperature are present. In that time they can dive as deep as the Bay of Fundy 227m (745'). Porpoises are often in small groups and recent tracking studies indicate that they remain within the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine throughout the year, many migrating toward Cape Cod in the winter.
Porpoises are sometimes caught in bottom set gill nets and die. An international group of fishers, conservationists, government officials and researchers, has been trying to reduce this mortality. Porpoises also swim into herring weirs but with the aid of the Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station personnel, weir fishers can release porpoises unharmed without losing their fish. Porpoises can easily be seen from shore.
Porpoises are considered "threatened" in Canada.