Porpoise Scares Little Girl

Porpoise Scares Little Girl

Porpoises are small dolphin-like cetaceans classified under the family Phocoenidae. Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals and belugas than to the true dolphins. There are eight extant species of porpoise, all among the smallest of the toothed whales. Porpoises are distinguished from dolphins by their flattened, spade-shaped teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins, and lack of a pronounced beak, although some dolphins (e.g. Hector's dolphin) also lack a pronounced beak. Porpoises, and other cetaceans, belong to the clade Cetartiodactyla with even-toed ungulates

5 Unique Porpoise Facts

• Porpoises can live to be 23 years old, depending on their health and potential predators in their area.

• While social, these mammals can usually be seen traveling in pairs or groups (shoals) of three. Although harbor porpoises are known to travel in groups of up to 100!

• They are carnivores that eat mostly fish and crustaceans. It swallows its prey whole and will often alert other porpoises once it finds a food source.

• Porpoises are related to both dolphins and whales. To tell the difference between a porpoise and a dolphin, look at the animal’s nose. Dolphins have beak-like noses while porpoises have shorter noses.

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/harbor-porpoise/