Porpoises rescue Dick Van Dyke

[SweetWitch]

And the porpoises weren't available for comment.

 

[Emperor_Nero]

Does this mean he can add an appearance with Flipper to his resume?

 

[SweetWitch]

Does this mean he can add an appearance with Flipper to his resume?

No, that would be a dolphin, I believe.

 

[Boxlicker101]

No, that would be a dolphin, I believe.

What's the differencer between a porpoise and a dolphin? The latter can be a football player from Miami and it is also a gamefish but, I believe, the latter is usually called by the Hawaiin name, Mahi-mahi, to avoid confusion.

Beyond that, I think they are just two different names for the same critter.

 

[SweetWitch]

What's the differencer between a porpoise and a dolphin? The latter can be a football player from Miami and it is also a gamefish but, I believe, the latter is usually called by the Hawaiin name, Mahi-mahi, to avoid confusion.

Beyond that, I think they are just two different names for the same critter.

Neither is a fish.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxlicker101
What's the differencer between a porpoise and a dolphin? The latter can be a football player from Miami and it is also a gamefish but, I believe, the latter is usually called by the Hawaiin name, Mahi-mahi, to avoid confusion.

Beyond that, I think they are just two different names for the same critter.

Neither is a fish.

I realize we are not discussing fish, but there is a kind of fish that is sometimes called a dolphin. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dolphin

 

[squarejohn]

I wonder how many people have been pushed out to sea by porpoises.

 

[trysail]

What's the differencer between a porpoise and a dolphin? ...

It's actually a damn good question. For years, I was very careful to refer to the fish as a dolphin and to the others ( i.e., the mammals ) as porpoise in order to distinguish between the two. Unfortunately, it was pointed out to me that there are mammalian dolphins but I'll be damned if I can figure out what distinguishes a mammalian dolphin from a porpoise.

This is a dolphin ( Coryphaena hippurus ):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Coryphaena_hippurus.PNG​

As you can see, it is clearly a fish. It is also known as a dorado or ( as previously noted in an earlier post ) mahi-mahi.


From Wikipedia:

Porpoises (also called mereswine) are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" (pronounced /ˈpɔrpəs/) has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen. The most obvious visible difference between the two groups is that porpoises have flattened, spade-shaped teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins, and shorter beaks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porpoise

 

[SweetWitch]

In the world of marine mammals, there is quite a difference between dolphins and porpoises. On the whole, porpoises tend to be smaller with smaller heads and shorter snouts. Dolphins are larger, longer, sleeker with longer snouts.

http://press.princeton.edu/birds/mammals/dolphins/dolphins.jpg

http://www.carisaswenson.com/images/Dolphin vs. Porpoise.jpg

 

[DesertPirate]

A true dolphin is a fish, not a mammal. Some wag started calling them mahi mahi in the last few years. Flipper was a bottle nosed porpoise.

 

[trysail]

In the world of marine mammals, there is quite a difference between dolphins and porpoises. On the whole, porpoises tend to be smaller with smaller heads and shorter snouts. Dolphins are larger, longer, sleeker with longer snouts.

http://press.princeton.edu/birds/mammals/dolphins/dolphins.jpg

http://www.carisaswenson.com/images/Dolphin vs. Porpoise.jpg

You are nice to attempt to help. I'm afraid it's a lost cause. I see the mammals all the time ( frequently at very close range ) but they tend to be moving rapidly thus defying attempts to identify them as dolphins or porpoise. I suspect ( but do not know ) that most of the ones I see are Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Bottlenose_Dolphin_KSC04pd0178_head_only.JPG/220px-Bottlenose_Dolphin_KSC04pd0178_head_only.JPG​

We once ran into a huge pod that crossed our bow in the St. Vincent Channel. There must have been a thousand of 'em. It took 5-10 minutes before they passed out of sight. The herd was so big that there was time to scurry below, grab the camera, return to the deck and still film them for another five minutes.

Another time, as I was enjoying my morning coffee in the cockpit while anchored in English Harbor, Antigua I heard a most human sound— turning quickly I glimpsed a dolphin ( porpoise? ) submerging after a quick exhalation and breath. It was no more than five feet away.

Summers at the beach find dolphin paralleling the shore. At times they are within easy reach of swimmers, surfers or kayakers. I'm always amazed at how close they come to grounding. You can reach out and touch 'em.