1. ORCA’s Whale Education Month
Porpoises!
ORCA’s Whale Education Month

2. Have you heard of porpoises before? What are they?

3. Size
1.7 metres long
2.5 metres long

4. Dorsal Fin Shape

5. Teeth
Porpoise teeth
Dolphin teeth

6. Head shape
Short, rounded beak
Pointed beak

7. Behaviour
Porpoises are shy, living in small pods and hardly ever jump right out of the water.
Dolphins are sociable, live in large groups and jump all the way out the water, creating quite a splash!

8. Lifespan
Dolphins, for example bottlenose dolphins, can live over 40 years old.
Porpoises only live up to 12 years old.

9. Porpoise or dolphin?
Risso’s dolphin
Harbour porpoise

10. Porpoise or dolphin?
Bottlenose dolphin
Dall’s porpoise

11. Porpoise or dolphin?
Finless porpoise
Striped dolphin

12. Porpoise anatomy

14. There are only 6 species of porpoise…
Harbour porpoise
Dall’s porpoise
Finless porpoise
Burmeister's porpoise
Spectacled porpoise
Vaquita Porpoise

15. Activity: Measuring Giants
How big are porpoises?
Activity: Measuring Giants

16. Thank you for taking part in ORCA’s Whale Education Month!
Photo: Mark Carwardine