Porpoises
possess a rich social life and display complex patterns of behaviour. Most of
their lives are spent far beneath the surface of the world's oceans – unseen
by humans.
'Porpoises' is a solid introduction to the ecology and conservation of this intriguing and threatened group of marine mammals, which are found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans; the Black Sea; the coasts of South America; the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico; and in the rivers and shallow coastal waters of Southeast Asia. Andrew Read describes the six species of porpoises, conservation issues, the future of these enigmatic animals, and the striking differences between porpoises and the better-known bottlenose dolphin.