Species guide
Harbour porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
At a glance
Conservation, taxonomy and Madeira records reviewed . Review sources.
- Global IUCN conservation status
- Least Concern — assessment published .
Amended in 2023 from the 2020 assessment; this is not a new population reassessment.
Global extinction risk is separate from sighting frequency in Madeira.
- Identification
- Small, compact body with a dark grey back, paler sides and a white underside.
- Low triangular dorsal fin and a blunt head without a prominent beak.
- Size
- Adult length: about 1.5–1.7 m
- Recorded occurrence in Madeira
- Historical 1905 catch reported; identification unconfirmed in the 2012 review.
- Madeira records and season
- No dependable seasonal window established by the cited records.
Identification and size summarize profile notes updated . Local records are past observations, not a prediction of sightings.
Read the identification notes ↓- Taxonomic authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Family
- Phocoenidae
- Cetacean group
- Odontoceti
Sightings in Madeira
The 2012 Madeira review describes a reported 1905 catch in tuna fishing gear. Its species account explicitly treats the identification as unconfirmed because no remains or adequate description survive.
No dependable seasonal window established by the cited records. Individual record months do not define a season.
ID characteristics
Small, stocky porpoise with a dark back and pale belly.
Triangular dorsal fin and a short, blunt snout.
Females tend to be slightly larger than males.
Surface behaviour
Usually surfaces with a quiet rolling movement and little splash.
Shy around vessels and generally does not bow-ride.
Distribution
Cool coastal waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, extending into Arctic seas. Often found in bays, estuaries and fjords.
Social
Usually alone or in small groups, often two or three animals; larger gatherings also occur.
Diet
Schooling fish, including herring and mackerel; occasionally squid and octopus.
Biometrics
Adult length: about 1.5–1.7 m
Adult weight: about 60–80 kg
Identification, behaviour and measurements: NOAA Fisheries species account.
Common names in other languages
- Portuguese: Boto, Toninha-comum
- German: Schweinswal
- French: Marsouin commun
- Spanish: Marsopa común
- Italian: Focena comune
- Dutch: Bruinvis
- Polish: Morświn zwyczajny
- Swedish: Tumlare
- Danish: Marsvin
- Norwegian: Nise
Names vary by language and region. This list is not exhaustive. Multilingual name records.
Review sources
Conservation, taxonomy, local occurrence and seasonality checked on . The assessment publication year is separate from this editorial review date. Identification, size, other biology notes and multilingual aliases are outside this review unless a specific source is cited alongside them.
- IUCN Red List: Phocoena phocoena — global species assessment, published 2023.
- Society for Marine Mammalogy: species and subspecies list (April 2026) — Scientific names, authorities, families and English names. Mysticeti and Odontoceti are treated as unranked groups.
- IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group: Red List status of cetaceans — Global species categories cross-checked against the specialist group's overview, updated October 2025. Regional and subpopulation assessments are separate.
- IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group: first 2020 assessment updates — Global North Atlantic right whale and harbour porpoise assessments, and the Gulf of Corinth common dolphin subpopulation.
- Freitas et al. (2012): New records of cetacean species for Madeira Archipelago with an updated checklist — Table 1 and species accounts distinguish sightings, catches and strandings. Record totals and last-record dates describe evidence available through December 2012.
- NOAA Fisheries: harbour porpoise — Identification, behaviour, distribution, diet and measurements; reviewed 28 September 2026. General species biology does not establish occurrence in Madeira.
The linked trip reports document operator observations. They do not independently confirm every identification or measure population size, abundance or the probability of a sighting.