Nova Zhang
Harbor porpoises are small cetaceans with robust bodies and short, blunt beaks. They are typically dark grey on their backs, shading to a lighter grey on the sides, and white underneath. Harbor porpoises were once common in Puget Sound but their numbers declined in the late 20th century due to threats such as entanglement in gill nets, vessel noise, and contamination from industrial pollution. However, in recent years, there has been a comeback of harbor porpoises in Puget Sound, with regular sightings and increasing populations. This recovery is likely due to better management and reduction of negative influences such as fisheries interactions and pollution. Harbor porpoises are now considered a common sight in Puget Sound once again, with biologists confirming their return.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common name | Harbor porpoise |
| Scientific name | Phocoena phocoena |
| Location | Puget Sound |
| Diet | Schooling fish (herring, mackerel, smelt, sand lance, pollock, hake), squid, octopus |
| Breeding season | Summer |
| Gestation period | 11 months |
| Calving season | May to July |
| Lifespan | 15-24 years |
| Size | 5 feet long, 120 pounds |
| Color | Dark gray head and back, light gray sides, white underside |
| Fin | Small, broad-based, triangular dorsal fin |
| Behavior | Not social, shy, elusive |
| Population trend | Decreased in the 1970s, increased in the 2000s |
| Conservation status | Special Concern (Canada, 2003) |
| Threats | Bycatch, coastal development, vessel traffic, pollution, predation by orcas and sharks |
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What You'll Learn
Harbor porpoises were common in Puget Sound in the 1940s
The harbor porpoise is a small cetacean with a robust body and a short, blunt beak. Their bodies are very dark on the back, shading to a lighter grey on the sides, and white underneath. They are typically shy and elusive around boats and people. Harbor porpoises are relatively solitary, often seen alone or in small groups of a few individuals. They keep a low profile in the water and do not splash when traveling or surfacing. Their diet primarily consists of schooling fish such as herring, mackerel, and other small fish species.
However, despite their once abundant presence in Puget Sound, harbor porpoises began to disappear from the area by the 1970s. Research and observations during the 1970s through the 1990s revealed a significant decrease in sightings, with the animals virtually absent from Puget Sound. This decline was likely due to various factors such as entanglement in gill nets, vessel noise, and contamination from industrial pollution. These issues pushed the harbor porpoises farther north, and their numbers were greatly reduced in nearby waters as well.
In recent years, there has been a comeback of harbor porpoises to Puget Sound. Reports of their presence began in the early 2000s, and by the early 2010s, sightings had become more common. Conservation efforts to reduce the impact of negative influences have allowed harbor porpoises to return to their traditional habitats. Aerial surveys have documented increasing trends in their populations, and they are once again considered a common sight in Puget Sound.
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By the 1970s, they had virtually disappeared from the Sound
Harbor porpoises were once a common sight in the Puget Sound in the 1940s. However, by the 1970s, their numbers had declined significantly, and they had all but disappeared from the area. This decline was not limited to Puget Sound but also affected the waters around the San Juan Islands and the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca.
The reasons for this decline are not fully understood, but it is believed that a combination of factors, including entanglement in gill nets, vessel noise, and contamination from industrial pollution, may have contributed to their disappearance. Harbor porpoises are very sensitive to human activities and can easily become entangled in fishing nets. They are also affected by noise and other impacts in more urbanized areas. In addition, as they are usually found in coastal shallow waters, the destruction of their habitat by coastal development may have played a role in their decline.
The decline of harbor porpoises in Puget Sound coincided with the increase in numbers of another porpoise species, the Dall's porpoise. By the early 1990s, Dall's porpoises were common in Puget Sound and throughout the Salish Sea. However, towards the end of the 1990s, their numbers started to decline as well, and by 2013-2015, they had become very rare in these waters.
The disappearance of harbor porpoises from Puget Sound was not permanent. In the early 2000s, they began to make a comeback, and by 2013, they had once again become a common sight in the area. This recovery is believed to be due to better management and reduction of negative influences such as fisheries interactions, pollution, and habitat loss/degradation. Aerial surveys conducted from 1995 to 2015 showed increasing densities of harbor porpoises in Washington Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound.
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Harbor porpoises returned to Puget Sound around 2000
Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were once a common sight in the Puget Sound in the 1940s and 1950s. However, by the 1970s, their numbers had declined significantly, and they had all but disappeared from the area. The species faced various threats, including entanglement in gill nets, vessel noise, and contamination from industrial pollution, which pushed them farther north.
Around the year 2000, harbor porpoises made a comeback to Puget Sound. This recovery is likely due to the better management and reduction of negative influences such as fisheries interactions, pollution, and habitat loss/degradation. The return of the harbor porpoises was monitored by several organizations, including the National Marine Fisheries Service, WDFW, Cascadia Research Collective, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Regular sightings in southern Puget Sound began in 2008, and by 2013, they had become a common sight once again.
Harbor porpoises are small cetaceans with robust bodies and short, blunt beaks. They are typically shy and elusive around boats and people and are often found solo, in pairs, or in small groups. They feed on smaller fish species such as herring, pollock, and hake and are an important part of the ecosystem as both predator and prey. Harbor porpoises are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and their populations continue to rebound, although they have not reached their previous numbers.
The harbor porpoises' return to Puget Sound has been a positive development for the area, and they are now considered a common sight once again. Their presence is monitored and studied by various organizations and volunteers, who track their movements and work to protect this sensitive species. The harbor porpoises' rebound serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and the resilience of nature when given a chance to recover.
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The reasons for their decline and recovery are not fully understood
Harbor porpoises were a common sight in Puget Sound in the 1940s, but their numbers declined drastically in the 1970s, and they were virtually absent from the area by the 1990s. However, in the early 2000s, they made a comeback, and by 2013, they had once again become a common sight in the region. The reasons for their initial decline and subsequent recovery are not entirely understood, but several factors are believed to have played a role.
One of the main threats to harbor porpoises is "bycatch," or accidental entanglement in gill nets and trawls, which can drown these air-breathing mammals. This issue, along with vessel noise and industrial pollution, may have contributed to the porpoises' disappearance from Puget Sound in the 1970s and their migration to other areas. Additionally, coastal development and habitat destruction may have further exacerbated their decline during this period.
The recovery of harbor porpoises in Puget Sound is thought to be related to improved management and reduced negative influences in their traditional habitats. Efforts to reduce the impact of fisheries interactions, pollution, and habitat loss may have contributed to their return. Additionally, the decline of Dall's porpoises in the Salish Sea during the same period may have played a role, though the reason for their decline is also not fully understood.
While the specific reasons for the decline and recovery of harbor porpoises in Puget Sound remain somewhat mysterious, ongoing research and conservation efforts are helping to better understand and protect these shy and elusive marine mammals.
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Harbor porpoises are now a common sight in Puget Sound
Harbor porpoises, the smallest cetaceans in the Salish Sea, are now a common sight in Puget Sound. They were common in the inland waters of Washington State in the 1940s and 1950s, but their numbers declined in the 1970s through the 1990s, with entanglement in gill nets, vessel noise, and contamination from industrial pollution being possible reasons for their disappearance. Harbor porpoises are shy and elusive, with a preference for shallow coastal waters. They are usually found alone or in small groups, but they have been seen feeding in larger groups of up to 50-100 individuals. Harbor porpoises have a dark back, a light underside, and a small, broad-based, triangular dorsal fin. They are about 5 feet long and weigh around 120 pounds.
The harbor porpoise population has been rebounding since the whaling industry, and they have been detected as deep as 770 feet in the waters of the San Juan Islands. Harbor porpoises are now regularly sighted in southern Puget Sound, and their presence is being monitored by various organizations such as the National Marine Fisheries Service, WDFW, Cascadia Research Collective, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The Pacific Biodiversity Institute has also taken up the cause of the porpoise, advocating for its use as an indicator species of the health of Puget Sound.
The reasons for the decline and recovery of harbor porpoises are not fully understood, but it is likely related to fisheries interactions, pollution, and habitat loss/degradation. As these negative influences have been better managed and reduced, harbor porpoises have returned to their traditional habitats. Aerial surveys from 1995 to 2015 showed an increase in the density of harbor porpoises in Washington Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound.
Harbor porpoises are an important part of the ecosystem as both predators and prey. They feed on smaller fish species such as herring, pollock, and hake, and their only natural predator in Puget Sound is the Bigg's killer whale, which has been increasing in abundance in recent years. Harbor porpoises are also sometimes killed but not consumed by southern resident killer whales.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are porpoises in Puget Sound.
Harbor porpoises and Dall's porpoises are the two species found in Puget Sound.
Harbor porpoises were a common year-round resident in Puget Sound in the 1940s and 1950s. By the 1970s, they had virtually disappeared from the region. However, since the early 2000s, there has been a comeback of harbor porpoises in Puget Sound, and they are once again a common sight.
The biggest threat to porpoises in Puget Sound is "bycatch," or accidentally being caught in gill nets and trawls. Other threats include vessel traffic, noise and contamination from industrial pollution, and coastal development.
Porpoises in Puget Sound are typically shy and elusive around boats and people. They are not very social and are often seen alone or in small groups. They keep a low profile in the water and do not splash when traveling or surfacing.
