They appear playful and can often be seen leaping out the water. Harbour Porpoise Harbour Porpoises are widespread in the cooler, shallower North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In UK waters they are more widely distributed and common than the other species of dolphins and whales. However, in recent years they have become much less frequent in our coastal waters and are now relatively uncommon in the Moray Firth. The reasons for this decline in numbers are not fully understood.
Adults have a rounded snout and a small triangular dorsal fin.
They are usually between 1.4 and 1.7 metres long and weigh between 54 and 65 kilograms. Their normal life span is 7 to 9 years, although some animals can live for up to 15 years. A female porpoise begins to breed when 3 to 4 years old, but breeding can occur as early as 14 months, and a single calf is born every 2 years or more. Mating takes place in mid to late summer, the young being born 10 to 12 months later around May to June. Harbour Porpoises usually occur singly or in small loosely formed groups of between 2 to 10 individuals.