Mammals
Burmeister's Porpoise
Phocoena spinipinnis · also called black porpoise
Rarely breaking the surface with anything like the visible acrobatics of other small cetaceans, Burmeister’s porpoise moves quietly along both coasts of South America, its shy nature making it easy to overlook despite facing serious risk from coastal fishing nets.
Overview
Burmeister’s porpoise, Phocoena spinipinnis, is a Data Deficient marine mammal native to coastal habitat along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of southern South America. Its unusually shy, inconspicuous surface behaviour, distinctive backward-leaning dorsal fin, and vulnerability to gillnet entanglement make it one of the more elusive yet conservation-relevant small cetaceans found anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
A porpoise that avoids attention
While many small cetaceans draw attention with leaps and bow-riding, Burmeister’s porpoise instead keeps a low profile at the surface, a shy habit that has made it harder for researchers to study even as it faces mounting pressure from coastal fishing operations.
Status
Data Deficient, with population size and trends remaining poorly documented across its South American coastal range, though bycatch in coastal gillnet fisheries is considered a significant ongoing concern.
Burmeister's Porpoise: common questions
Why is Burmeister's porpoise rarely seen?
This species is notably shy and inconspicuous at the surface, rarely performing the visible leaps and rolls associated with more commonly observed dolphins, making it easy to overlook even where it is present.
How can you identify Burmeister's porpoise?
This species has a distinctively shaped, backward-leaning dorsal fin positioned unusually far along its back, a feature that helps separate it from other small cetaceans sharing the same coastal waters.
What threatens Burmeister's porpoise?
This species faces significant mortality from accidental entanglement in coastal gillnets set for fish, a major and ongoing threat across much of its range along the South American coastline.
Where is Burmeister's porpoise found?
This species is found along the Pacific coast from Peru to southern Chile and the Atlantic coast from Argentina northward, spanning both sides of the South American continent.