Eight species of small, dolphin-like toothed whales, more closely related to narwhals and belugas than to dolphins. They have spade-shaped teeth and no pronounced beak.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
The Inuit hunt harbour porpoises, and a drive hunt for Dall's porpoise continues in Japan.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatCoast, Open ocean
ColoursGrey, White, Black
SizeLarge
Length1.4 m (vaquita) to 2.3 m (Dall’s porpoise)
Weight54 kg (vaquita) to 220 kg (Dall’s porpoise)
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives inpods
Lives for15–20 years
Can swim
In the wild
Did you know
Shorter and blunter than a dolphin, with spade-shaped teeth instead of cones.
The vaquita, the smallest porpoise, is one of the smallest toothed whales.
Often confused with
- Dolphin
Porpoises have spade-shaped teeth and no pronounced beak; dolphins have cone-shaped teeth.
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