Alaska carries the large majority of US records for this porpoise, with the densest reports clustered around Kenai Fjords National Park, Prince William Sound, and Glacier Bay’s icy coastal waters. That’s a much bigger share than California or Washington see, and it fits a species that favors cold, deep Pacific water over shallow bays.
It’s the largest porpoise in the world and the only living member of its genus, thickset and built more like a small torpedo than a sleek dolphin. It dives for squid and small schooling fish like eulachon, capelin, and Pacific hake, rarely resting at the surface for long and favoring near-constant, fast swimming instead.
Records here run year-round but peak from May through August, when Alaska’s coastal waters see the heaviest survey and boat traffic. A quieter month in the data reflects less time on the water looking, not a porpoise that disappears.
Full species profile
