The tail is horizontal to propel the animal in its lunges and dives not perpendicular like the tails of fishes. Dolphins and porpoises are noted for being graceful swimmers, arcing through long, slow curves that bring the blowhole to the surface of the water and then expose the back fin as the animal dips downward. At first glance, the high dorsal fin somewhat resembles that of a shark and has sometimes caused false alarms at beaches. Porpoises are somewhat smaller. Dolphins and porpoises have smooth skin with a rubbery texture.
Most species have color patterns that are some combination of black, white, and gray.
Like other whales, they have an insulating layer of blubber beneath the skin. Most dolphins and porpoises have declined in numbers during this century. Some species are hunted commercially, particularly in Asian marine waters. Many individuals of several species are accidentally drowned each year when they become entangled in fishing nets. All are in the toothed-whale suborder Odontoceti.