Like the name suggests, harbor porpoises remain close to shore and in river estuaries and bays usually less than 650 feet deep. This makes them the most likely porpoise seen from shore. They seem more shy than their larger, more gregarious cousins, like the Dall’s porpoise or bottlenose dolphin. You won’t see them riding the bow waves of boats. They are also not as social, usually seen alone or in small groups of two or three, rarely more than five individuals.

Found throughout the temperate coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere, harbor porpoises are the smallest of the Northern Pacific cetaceans growing to five feet and weighing up to 165 pounds. They are dark gray to black with light gray undersides. They have a blunt, rounded head and small black mouth with inward-curving lips.

They usually stay near the surface, coming up about every 25 seconds to breathe with a distinctive puffing noise that sounds like a sneeze.

Harbor porpoises eat small forage fish, like sardines and herring. They, in turn, are food for great white sharks and killer whales.

The harbor porpoise is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.

Photo by Michelle Bender, Flickr