Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Its distribution is centered on the Western European coasts between Galicia and Portugal. It frequents shallow waters. Its population in European Atlantic waters is estimated at 385,000 individuals, though 90% is found in the North Sea. The small populations outside this area are critically endangered.
Habitats: They have a definite preference for shallow waters. In several different studies, it is shown that 70% of their dives were made at a depth less than 20 m or in movements over 100 m. It is likely that a long time ago, the harbor porpoise used to mainly feed on pelagic species, but the scarcity of its main prey, herring, led it to feed on less demersal species such as mackerel, poor cod, sandeel or great silver smelt.
