Classification: 

Burmeister's porpoises are not widely known as they are hard to spot at sea unless the conditions are calm.

This species has been, and continues to be widespread directed hunts off the coasts of both Peru and Chile. Their meat is used as bait in crab and shark fisheries and for human utilization.

 

 

Appearance: 

The Burmeister's porpoise is shaped like a typical porpoise; it has a strong body shape, flat forehead, no beak, and a single blowhole.

The overturned mouth gives it the semblance of smiling and has 10 to 23 pairs of teeth in the upper jaw, and 14 to 23 pairs in the lower.

The body is dark grey or black, with a lighter belly.

It has dark lips and eye cobble, and stripes running from the chin to the flippers with the stripe on the left side being wider.

The dorsal fin and flippers are small and backward pointing.

The Burmeister's porpoise are different from all other porpoises in the position of its dorsal fin, behind the middle of the back.

The fin has circular jolt known as tubercles along the leading edge, giving rise to the species Latin name.  It may be confused with Chilean dolphins, the franciscana dolphin, or the spectacled porpoise, but the distinctive placement of the dorsal fin and colour pattern allow for accurate identification.

 

 

Behaviour: 

When surfacing, Burmeister's porpoises hardly disturb the water so they are easy to look down at sea unless conditions are calm.

They move unpredictably, rarely breach and are usually found in small groups, which scatter when approached.

They usually move alone or in pairs, but sometimes can be seen in larger groups of up to 10 individuals.

These higher numbers are probably a result of concentrated food sources.

It is thought that they move close to shore at night.