placeholder image - add photo of porpoise skeleton here

MARINE MAMMAL SKELETONS | GRAY WHALE CALF | CALIFORNIA SEA LION | SPERM WHALE CALF | HARBOR PORPOISE | NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL | PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN

 

Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

 

How did this skeleton come to the visitor center?

  • This skeleton was donated to the Hatfield Marine Science Center by a professor at Portland State University.
  • This is the smallest toothed whale in Oregon. They can be very shy and try to avoid surfacing near boats or bow riding, which many other species of porpoises are known to do.

 

Facts about Harbor Porpoise

  • Adult size - up to 170 lbs and 5.5 feet long
  • Life span - about 24 years
  • Feeding habits - main prey species include herring, mackerel and other schooling fish, and occasionally octopus or squid
  • Mating and offspring - Mating occurs in summer. Gestation is 10 - 11 months and young are born between May and July. Lactation lasts for 8-12 months
  • Frequency and abundance Oregon Coast - Sightings are often solitary animals, pairs or small groups of up to ten, along the surf line