5 facts you didn’t know about porpoises
They live in our waters. They have super hearing. They are shy and care for the few calves they can give birth to. They have their own language of clicks. They are not dolphins, even though many of us confuse the two. We’re talking about harbour porpoises. Why, you might wonder… Well, we have decided to make the porpoise Happy our new mascot. Here are 5 reasons why we chose a harbour porpoise and why you should care about them.
When we set out to create our new kid’s concept Happy, we didn’t want to base our main character on an imaginary or exotic animal. Instead we wanted a mascot and a story that was relevant to us. Thus, we chose the marine mammal, porpoise, who lives in the cool temperate waters of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, where we operate.
1. Porpoises are our neighbours
Porpoises live in all waters where we operate, usually near the coast where they feed on fish and squid. They are our neighbours, so to speak. We have all been told, since our childhood, that we should treat our neighbours well, not only by our parents but also by most religions.
2. Porpoises have super hearing
Porpoises have very sensitive hearing and can detect sounds from low to super high pitch. They use their hearing to listen to the surroundings, and to the echoes of their own click signals, just like bats.
3. Porpoises echo-locate to find food
They echo-locate to find food, communicate and navigate in their underwater world. They are generally shy and avoid loud sounds.
4. Porpoises care for their young
Porpoises are seldom found in large groups, but they care for their young. A porpoise baby is called a calf, and the mother nurses it for almost a year. But they love freedom more than company which means that they don’t like life in captivity. Who can blame them?
5. Porpoises are endangered
Some species in the families of porpoises and dolphins are endangered species by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)>. Being an indicator species in top of the food chain they are important to tell us about the overall health of the marine environment. Fishing, pollution and plastic in the sea are some of the problems that are affecting the life of the porpoises.
Discover more about Happy and our Kids Play Area
Discover Happy before your next family trip, learn about our Mascot’d Sea friends Seastar and King Caesar.
While onboard our superferries, children can join in on all the fun Happy activities in our refrurbuished play area from meeting Happy onboard to vcolouring books and interactive games.
