Dolphins & Porpoises | NOAA Fisheries
Source: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/dolphins-porpoises
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:12
Dolphins & Porpoises | NOAA Fisheries
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Dolphins & Porpoises
Dolphins and porpoises are at the top of the food chain and play an important role in the overall balance of the marine environment. They belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Marine mammals in the cetacean family include
whales
, dolphins, and porpoises. These animals are often referred to as “sentinels” of ocean health providing insight into marine ecosystem dynamics. Numerous studies have explored the effects of noise and chemical pollution, habitat degradation, and changes in climate on these animals.
Dolphins and porpoises tend to be social and live in groups. They exhibit complex methods of communication and echolocation making squeaks, buzzes, whistles, and clicks that can be heard from miles away. They are also thought to communicate by slapping the water’s surface with their tails or bodies. They range in size from the small, critically endangered vaquita porpoise to the iconic killer whale—the largest member of the Delphinidae, or dolphin family.
All dolphins and porpoises are protected under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
. Eight dolphins and porpoises are also listed as threatened or endangered in all or part of their range under the
Endangered Species Act
:
Atlantic humpback dolphin
Chinese River dolphin
False killer whale
Hector’s dolphin
Indus River dolphin
Killer whale
Taiwanese humpback dolphin
Vaquita
Together with our partners, we work to study, protect, and conserve these fascinating species and their habitats.
More Information
Marine Mammal Protection
Viewing Guidelines
Bycatch in Fisheries
Sounds in the Ocean
Dolphin-Safe
Species Directory - Dolphins and Porpoises
Species News
Feature Story
NOAA Fisheries Launches Underwater Glider Challenge in Hawai‘i
Pacific Islands
West Coast
Feature Story
The Endangered Population of False Killer Whales in the Main Hawaiian Islands is Declining
Pacific Islands
Feature Story
2022 and 2023 Combined Report of Marine Mammal Strandings in the United States
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Feature Story
Florida Fisherman Convicted for Killing Dolphins
Southeast
More News
Multimedia
Photo Gallery
2024 Field Fresh Blog Photo Gallery
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Photo Gallery
2024 Ecosystem Monitoring Survey in Photos
New England/Mid-Atlantic
A small fishing vessel near wind turbines. Credit: Bob Brewer on Unsplash
Podcast
Studying Sound in the Ocean to Prepare for Offshore Wind Development
New England/Mid-Atlantic
National
Photo Gallery
Pacific Islands ESA@50 Ocean Art Contest: Honorable Mentions
Pacific Islands
All Multimedia
Research
On-Demand Gear Guide
A roadmap for providing fishermen an option to use on-demand fishing systems in the Greater Atlantic Region by 2028.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Developing Viable On-Demand Gear Systems
On-demand gear development continues to evolve with the help of industry.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Peer-Reviewed Research
Accounting for Spatiotemporal Sampling Bias in a Long-Term Dataset Establishes a Decline in Abundance of Endangered False Killer Whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the Main Hawaiian Islands
Innovative modeling reveals a declining population of endangered Hawaiian false killer whales.
Pacific Islands
Protected Species Gear Research
We work closely with the commercial fishing industry to reduce the risk of harmful interactions with marine mammals, turtles, and other protected species listed under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
More Research
Understanding Sound in the Ocean
Levels of underwater noise from human activities—including from ships, sonar, and drilling—have increased dramatically.
Read More
Species
29
species match your filter criteria.
Atlantic Humpback Dolphin
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin
Chinese River Dolphin
Clymene Dolphin
Common Bottlenose Dolphin
Dall’s Porpoise
False Killer Whale
Fraser's Dolphin
Harbor Porpoise
Hector’s Dolphin
Indus River Dolphin
Skip to main content
Dolphins & Porpoises
Dolphins and porpoises are at the top of the food chain and play an important role in the overall balance of the marine environment. They belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Marine mammals in the cetacean family include
whales
, dolphins, and porpoises. These animals are often referred to as “sentinels” of ocean health providing insight into marine ecosystem dynamics. Numerous studies have explored the effects of noise and chemical pollution, habitat degradation, and changes in climate on these animals.
Dolphins and porpoises tend to be social and live in groups. They exhibit complex methods of communication and echolocation making squeaks, buzzes, whistles, and clicks that can be heard from miles away. They are also thought to communicate by slapping the water’s surface with their tails or bodies. They range in size from the small, critically endangered vaquita porpoise to the iconic killer whale—the largest member of the Delphinidae, or dolphin family.
All dolphins and porpoises are protected under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
. Eight dolphins and porpoises are also listed as threatened or endangered in all or part of their range under the
Endangered Species Act
:
Atlantic humpback dolphin
Chinese River dolphin
False killer whale
Hector’s dolphin
Indus River dolphin
Killer whale
Taiwanese humpback dolphin
Vaquita
Together with our partners, we work to study, protect, and conserve these fascinating species and their habitats.
More Information
Marine Mammal Protection
Viewing Guidelines
Bycatch in Fisheries
Sounds in the Ocean
Dolphin-Safe
Species Directory - Dolphins and Porpoises
Species News
Feature Story
NOAA Fisheries Launches Underwater Glider Challenge in Hawai‘i
Pacific Islands
West Coast
Feature Story
The Endangered Population of False Killer Whales in the Main Hawaiian Islands is Declining
Pacific Islands
Feature Story
2022 and 2023 Combined Report of Marine Mammal Strandings in the United States
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Feature Story
Florida Fisherman Convicted for Killing Dolphins
Southeast
More News
Multimedia
Photo Gallery
2024 Field Fresh Blog Photo Gallery
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Photo Gallery
2024 Ecosystem Monitoring Survey in Photos
New England/Mid-Atlantic
A small fishing vessel near wind turbines. Credit: Bob Brewer on Unsplash
Podcast
Studying Sound in the Ocean to Prepare for Offshore Wind Development
New England/Mid-Atlantic
National
Photo Gallery
Pacific Islands ESA@50 Ocean Art Contest: Honorable Mentions
Pacific Islands
All Multimedia
Research
On-Demand Gear Guide
A roadmap for providing fishermen an option to use on-demand fishing systems in the Greater Atlantic Region by 2028.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Developing Viable On-Demand Gear Systems
On-demand gear development continues to evolve with the help of industry.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Peer-Reviewed Research
Accounting for Spatiotemporal Sampling Bias in a Long-Term Dataset Establishes a Decline in Abundance of Endangered False Killer Whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the Main Hawaiian Islands
Innovative modeling reveals a declining population of endangered Hawaiian false killer whales.
Pacific Islands
Protected Species Gear Research
We work closely with the commercial fishing industry to reduce the risk of harmful interactions with marine mammals, turtles, and other protected species listed under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
More Research
Understanding Sound in the Ocean
Levels of underwater noise from human activities—including from ships, sonar, and drilling—have increased dramatically.
Read More
Species
29
species match your filter criteria.
Atlantic Humpback Dolphin
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin
Chinese River Dolphin
Clymene Dolphin
Common Bottlenose Dolphin
Dall’s Porpoise
False Killer Whale
Fraser's Dolphin
Harbor Porpoise
Hector’s Dolphin
Indus River Dolphin