Porpoise Found Dead in Thames

A porpoise was found dead Wednesday morning in the Thames River near the London Bridge.

The circumstances around how and why the porpoise died are unknown, but a necropsy is scheduled in order to determine the cause of death.

This is not the first time a marine mammal has been found dead in this stretch of the Thames; in fact, it's not even the first time a porpoise has been found dead there this year. In January, a bottlenose dolphin was discovered stranded on a sandbank in the river.

The Thames is heavily polluted, and its waters are often used for shipping. This makes it a difficult environment for marine life, which can often end up stranding or dying as a result.

Are Porpoises Endangered?

Porpoises are marine mammals that belong to the family of cetaceans. They are closely related to dolphins and whales. There are six species of porpoises, all of which are found in coastal and estuarine waters around the world.

The most commonly seen porpoise is the harbour porpoise. This species is listed as "least concern" on the IUCN Red List. The other five species are either Data Deficient (DD) or considered Near Threatened (NT).

So why are porpoises at risk?

There are a number of threats that face porpoises, including:

-entanglement in fishing gear - acoustic disturbance from ship traffic, seismic surveys and offshore wind farms - pollution from land-based sources such as agricultural runoff, heavy metals and plastic debris - vessel strikes

In addition, many populations are small and vulnerable to extinction, so they are at high risk from any type of threat.

Porpoises Used To Hunt in Packs

The porpoise is a small cetacean found in all the world's oceans. Formerly classified as a fish, it is now known to be the second-smallest marine mammal after the vaquita.

There are six species of porpoises: the common porpoise, Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, vaquita, spectacled porpoise, and Burmeister's porpoise. They range in size from about 1.2 to 2.5 m (4 to 8 ft) and weigh between 15 and 55 kg (33 and 121 lb).

Porpoises have a rounded head with a blunt snout, thick body, and two flippers on the side. The dorsal fin is located near the middle of their back. They are fast swimmers and may reach speeds of up to 35 km/h (22 mph).

Porpoises mainly eat fish, squid, and crabs. Some also eat jellyfish. They hunt in packs by herding their prey into a small area before attacking them.

What Do Porpoises Eat?

Porpoises are marine mammals that can be found in all the world's oceans. They are distantly related to whales and dolphins and are identified by their characteristic long, curved snouts. Porpoises eat a variety of things, but mostly they eat fish.

Porpoises have a very diverse diet. They will eat anything from small fish to squid and octopus. They are also known to eat crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, and even some types of plankton. In fact, porpoises will eat just about anything that they can find in the water.

One of the reasons that porpoises have such a varied diet is that they are opportunistic feeders. This means that they will take advantage of any food source that is available to them. If they come across a school of fish, they will attack them en masse. If they find a lone squid or octopus, they will snatch it up quickly. And if there is a large swarm of plankton in the water, they will grab as much as they can.

Since porpoises mainly eat fish, this makes them an important part of the ocean's food chain. Fish rely on them to control the populations of smaller fish so that the larger fish don't get overloaded with prey. This keeps the balance of the ocean's ecosystem in check and helps to maintain healthy fish populations.

So what do porpoises eat? The answer is: pretty much anything and everything that comes their way!

How Rare are Porpoises?

Porpoises are marine mammals that are related to whales and dolphins. They are the smallest cetaceans, and they are distinguishable by their long beaks. There are six different porpoise species, and they can be found in coastal and deep sea waters around the world.

Porpoises are not particularly common, and they are listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. This means that their populations are threatened and could decline in the future without conservation efforts. The main threats to porpoises include:

• Habitat destruction – Development along coastlines and offshore drilling can impact porpoise habitats.

• Fishing – Porpoises can get caught in fishing gear, and they can also become entangled in plastic pollution.

• Climate change – Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns can affect the distribution and availability of prey species for porpoises.

Despite their vulnerability, porpoises remain largely mysterious creatures. Very little is known about their behavior or how they interact with their environment. What is known, however, is that porpoises are important members of marine ecosystems and should be protected for the benefit of future generations.