Description
Nederlands: bruinvis Berend in de opvang, Ecomare
English: harbor porpoise Berend in the shelter, Ecomare
Date 11 December 2016
Source Ecomare http://www.ecomare.nl/
Author Ecomare/Salko de Wolf Den Hoorn Texel
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ecomare_-_bruinvis_Berend_(berend3).jpg

The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is one of six species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest marine mammals. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar porpoise to whale watchers. This porpoise often ventures up rivers, and has been seen hundreds of miles from the sea. The harbour porpoise may be polytypic, with geographically distinct populations representing distinct races: Phocoena phocoena phocoena in the North Atlantic and West Africa, Phocoena phocoena relicta in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, an unnamed population in the northwest Pacific and Phocoena phocoena vomerina in the northeast Pacific. Order: Artiodactyla, Infraorder: Cetacea, Family: Phocoenidae, Genus: Phocoena, Species: Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758).