Field Guide
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Harbour Porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
Not yet photographed by the community
UK's smallest cetacean; shy, rarely leaps.
Species Profile
UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species; Least Concern globally (IUCN), though some regional populations are declining.
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years in the wild, occasionally up to 24 years
- Size & Weight
- 1.5–2 m in length; 24–76 kg (females smaller than males)
- Habitat
- Coastal waters, estuaries, and bays with depths of 10–200 m, preferring cooler temperate and subarctic seas.
- UK Distribution
- Found year-round around the UK coastline, with highest concentrations in the North Sea, Irish Sea, and English Channel; generally resident with some seasonal movements.
- Diet
- Small fish including whiting, cod, herring, and sand eels, supplemented by cephalopods.
- Prey
- Whiting, cod, herring, sand eels, squid
- Predators
- Orcas (killer whales) and great white sharks in UK waters; occasionally large seals.
- Mating Season
- June to November, with peak mating in summer months
- Breeding
- Single calf born after 10–11 month gestation (spring births peak April–June); calves weaned at 3–4 months; females breed annually or biennially.
- Behaviour
- Typically solitary or in small groups (2–5 individuals), though larger aggregations occur in rich feeding grounds. They are fast swimmers, relatively elusive, and shy, diving to depths of 100 m. Communication occurs via clicks and whistles.
- •The harbour porpoise is the smallest cetacean in UK waters, often confused with dolphins but distinguished by their shorter beaks and stockier build.
- •They produce characteristic puffing sounds at the surface, earning them the nickname 'puffing pig' in some regions.
- •UK harbour porpoises have shown alarming population declines in some areas, particularly the North Sea, linked to bycatch in fishing nets and ship strikes.
- •They can echolocate with remarkable precision, emitting up to 600 clicks per second to navigate and hunt in murky coastal waters.
- •Harbour porpoises were historically hunted for oil and meat in the UK but are now legally protected under marine mammal legislation.
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