Facts about Harbour Porpoise
- 09
Only 500 to 600 harbour porpoises remain in the Baltic Sea, classified as critically endangered with extinction risk from continued ship strikes and underwater noise pollution.
- 08
Pregnant harbour porpoises have a gestation period of approximately 10 to 11 months, among the longest of any small cetacean species.
- 07
Social groups of harbour porpoises typically consist of 1 to 4 individuals, though aggregations of up to 10 have been observed in particularly rich feeding areas during summer months.
- 06
Along the North Sea coast, harbour porpoise populations have declined by approximately 50 percent since the 1990s due to bycatch in fishing nets and ship strikes.
- 05
Newborn harbour porpoises weigh approximately 6 to 10 kilograms at birth and are nursed for just four to six weeks before weaning.
- 04
Harbour porpoises typically live 8 to 13 years in the wild, though some individuals have been documented reaching up to 20 years old.
- 03
Clicks produced by harbour porpoises occur at frequencies between 130 and 130 kilohertz, enabling echolocation in murky coastal waters where vision is nearly useless.
- 02
Harbour porpoises can dive to depths exceeding 200 meters and remain submerged for up to six minutes while hunting for fish.
- 01
The harbour porpoise's brain comprises approximately 1.5 percent of its total body weight, making it one of the most intelligent cetacean species.