Dear readers,
Whalecome at the introduction of the whales of Skjálfandi bay part 2. Last time we introduced the largest of all whales, the blue whale. Now it's time for the smallest of them all, the harbor porpoise!
Latin name: phocoena phocoena
Common name: Harbor porpoise
Icelandic name: Snoop
Average life span: 15-20 years
Diet: Various small schooling fish
Size: 1,5 is 2m
Weight:
55-70 kg
Harbor porpoises are the smallest of all the whales. They are small toothed whales with a blunt snout and a streamlined forehead. The name porpoise comes from the medieval Latin word porcopiscus, porco means pig and poscus means fish = ´´pigfish´´.
The habitat of porpoises are coastal areas, here they feed on small fish. Porpoises mostly live alone, but can also live in groups (shoals) of max. 5. When they dive for food a dive can last up to 5 minutes, on average 1 minute. They find their food by using high frequency (110 – 180kHz) clicks (echolocation). They can reach the speed of 25km/h. Porpoises have no clear migration behavior, in some areas they shift from inshore to offshore. Porpoise become sexually mature between 3 and 4 years old, gestation period is 10 months. When the calves are born they are between 65-85 cm in length and weigh 6,5-10 kg.
Predators such as the orca (killer whale) and sharks eat porpoises. There are also cases of gray seals who take a bite out of porpoises. Bottlenose dolphins like to play with the porpoises by tossing them in the air. It can result in the death of porpoises.
Porpoises are very shy creatures and very sensitive to noise pollution.
Harbor porpoises can be found in Skjálfandi bay throughout the year, however, because of their size and shy nature the weather conditions need to be perfect, little wind and a calm see, in order to see them and therefore luck is needed.
