Phocoena phocoena (Harbour Porpoise)
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Family: Phocoenidae
Phocoena phocoena is a small marine mammal related to dolphins and whales. It differs from dolphins in various subtle ways the most obvious being the shape of its head as it has no forehead or distinct beak. More difficult to see is the shape of the teeth which are spade like rather than the conical teeth of dolphins. P.phocoena grows to a maximum length of 1.4m - 1.9m and can weigh up to 76Kg for a female or 61Kg for a male.
Life span can be up to 25 years and has few natural predators particularly in the North Sea due to the lack of white sharks and orcas around the Essex coast.
P.phocoena feeds on herring and other fish with dives lasting up to 5 or 6 minutes. Due to over fishing on other parts of the North Sea there has been some documented attacks by Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose Dolphin), due to food competition, resulting in porpoise fatalities.
P.phocoena is a very difficult species to spot due largely to its small size but also to its behaviour as it shows little interest in boats and does not bow ride or breach. The usual visual sign is a rolling motion as the individual surfaces to breathe along with a sharp puffing sound that has been described as a sneeze like exhalation.
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