Whales of Húsavík

Harbour Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758)

    • Cool temperate and subarctic waters of the Northern Hemisphere

    • Small size and robust body

    • Dark back and low, triangular dorsal fin

    • No beak

    • Usually shy and undemonstrative

    • Usually alone or in small, loose groups

    • Slow, forward-rolling motion when surfacing

  • On average:

    • Male: 1,2 to 1,8 m

    • Female: 1,5 to 1,9 m

    • Approximate weight: ca. 45 to 70 kg

  • Usually surfaces 3–4 times rapidly before diving, typically for less than one minute

    • At least 8–10 years

    • The oldest recorded individual was 24 years old

    • IS: Hnísa

    • DE: Schweinswal

    • FR: Marsouin commun

    • IT: Focena comune

    • ES: Marsopa común

    • PT: Boto comum

    • PL: Morświn zwyczajny

Harbour Porpoises in Iceland

The harbour porpoise is easy to miss, and that is part of its nature.

Phocoena phocoena is the smallest cetacean in Skjálfandi Bay and one of the most discreet. Unlike dolphins, which leap and interact, porpoises move quietly, surfacing with minimal disturbance.

They are present year-round in Iceland’s coastal waters, including Skjálfandi Bay, where they feed on small fish and invertebrates. Their behaviour is closely tied to nearshore habitats and local prey availability.

At the surface, they appear briefly in a rolling motion: no splash, no dramatic blow, just a small dorsal fin cutting through the water before disappearing again. They are typically seen alone or in very small groups.

They are shy animals and tend to avoid boats, making encounters brief and often subtle.

Seeing a harbour porpoise requires a different kind of attention. Not scanning for spectacle, but watching for small, quiet signs, the kind that reveal a different rhythm of life in the bay.