Porpoise

ocean · marine mammals · cetaceans · toothed whales

Tiny toothed whales. Porpoises are among the smallest of all toothed whales, and there are eight different species living in oceans around the world.

Spade-shaped teeth. Unlike dolphins with their pointy cone-shaped teeth, porpoises have flat, spade-shaped teeth that help them catch and eat fish and squid.

No long beak. While many dolphins have a long snout or beak, most porpoises have a rounded head without that famous dolphin nose sticking out.

Secret whale relatives. Porpoises might look like dolphins, but they're actually more closely related to narwhals and belugas, which are Arctic whales.

Connected to land animals. Surprisingly, porpoises and all whales are in the same group as even-toed hoofed animals like deer and cows, sharing a common ancestor from long ago.