Porpoises, like all toothed whales (odontocetes) use sound for echolocation and communication. Echolocation allows porpoises to “see” with sound. It helps them to navigate their surroundings, locate objects and prey. Porpoises also use high-frequency whistles for communication.
References and Further Reading
- Akamatsu, Tomonari ; Teilmann, Jonas ; Miller, Lee A. ; Tougaard, Jakob ; Dietz, Rune ; Wang, Ding ; Wang, Kexiong ; Siebert, Ursula ; Naito, Yasuhiko (2007). Comparison of echolocation behaviour between coastal and riverine porpoises. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography.
- Au, Whitlow W. L. ; Branstetter, Brian K. ; Benoit-Bird, Kelly J. ; Kastelein, Ronald A. (2009). Acoustic basis for fish prey discrimination by echolocating dolphins and porpoises. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
- DeRuiter, S. L. ; Bahr, A. ; Blanchet, M.-A. ; Hansen, S. F. ; Kristensen, J. H. ; Madsen, P. T. ; Tyack, P. L. ; Wahlberg, M. (2009). Acoustic behaviour of echolocating porpoises during prey capture. Journal of Experimental Biology.
- Beedholm, Kristian ; Miller, Lee A. (2007). Automatic Gain Control in Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)? Central Versus Peripheral Mechanisms. Aquatic Mammals.
- Clausen, K. T. ; Wahlberg, M. ; Beedholm, K. ; Deruiter, S. ; Madsen, P. T. (2010). Click communication in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena. Bioacoustics.
- Miller, Lee A. ; Wahlberg, Magnus (2013). Echolocation by the harbour porpoise: life in coastal waters. Frontiers in Physiology.
- Villadsgaard, A. ; Wahlberg, M. ; Tougaard, J. (2007). Echolocation signals of wild harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena. Journal of Experimental Biology.
- Møhl, B. ; Andersen, S. (1973). Echolocation: high-frequency component in the click of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena ph. L.). The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.