Is there a difference between dolphins and porpoises?
Many people use the two terms interchangeably, but there is a difference. Both porpoises and dolphins are toothed whales. Toothed whales often gather in pods and (obviously) have teeth.
Dolphins tend to be larger than porpoises, have a more well-defined rostrum or beak, and have cone-shaped teeth. There are 37 species of dolphins, and they’re all classified in the family Delphinidae.
There are only 7 porpoise species (all in the family Phocoenidae). Porpoises are smaller, have a more blunt or squared-off head, and flat or spade-shaped teeth.
Locally, our two most common toothed whales are Atlantic white-sided dolphins and harbor porpoises. Atlantic white-sided dolphins are about 7 feet long, very social, and often ride in the bow and stern waves of a whale watch boat. Porpoises, on the other hand, are 4-5 feet long, tend to be skittish around the boat and are usually found in much smaller groups.
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