Craig Hullinger- City Planner, Marine Colonel Retired: Pelicans and Porpoises April 25, 2023 Bradenton Riverwalk

4/25/2023

Pelicans and Porpoises April 25, 2023 Bradenton Riverwalk

My daughter points out these are dolphins, not porpoises. I knew that, nut I like the alliteration, and I figure it is close enough for government work.

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/dolphin_porpoise.html

A dolphin is not a porpoise, and a porpoise is not a dolphin1. They are both aquatic mammals in the order Cetacea, but they belong to different families2 3. Dolphins are part of the family Delphinidae, while porpoises are part of the family Phocoenidae2 3 4. They have different physical appearances, such as body size, shape, and teeth2 5. There are more species of dolphins than porpoises5. Some older people may use the term porpoise to refer to dolphins, but this is incorrect.