Harbour Porpoise ID Fact Sheet

Name: Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Local Names: Puffin Pig

SARA Status: Special Concern

Size: Adults are 1.5-1.7 metres long and weigh 55-71 kg; females are larger than males

Diet: Capelin, herring, squid, crustaceans

When you might see it: year-round, although they are more commonly seen during summer months.

Where you might see it: throughout the region, with most staying on the Continental Shelf in nearshore waters. These porpoises are caught accidentally in southeast Newfoundland, such as in St. Mary's Bay, during the summer.

Notes: This porpoise is one of the smallest marine mammals, which combined with its inconspicuous behaviour and shyness around boats, makes it hard to spot. Harbour porpoises live less than 15 years, and females give birth every year from the age of two.