What s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? And other river dolphin facts

The document distinguishes dolphins from porpoises based on physical traits and identifies seven extant freshwater species of toothed whales across Asia and South America. It highlights that these animals serve as indicators of river health and face critical threats from infrastructure, unsustainable fishing, pollution, and climate change.

• Dolphins are physically distinguished from porpoises by having longer snouts, larger mouths, more curved dorsal fins, and bodies that are longer and leaner.
• There are seven species of dolphins and porpoises currently living in freshwater, excluding the functionally extinct Yangtze river dolphin: the Indus River dolphin, Amazon River dolphin, Ganges River dolphin, Bolivian river dolphin, Yangtze finless porpoise, Irrawaddy dolphin, and tucuxi.
• River dolphins and porpoises act as indicators of the overall health of river ecosystems; their abundance signals a healthy river, while their decline indicates a critically disturbed natural balance.
• The primary threats to these species include infrastructure for energy, agriculture, and flood control—which fragments populations and degrades habitats—as well as unsustainable fishing, pollution from mining and industry, and the exacerbating effects of climate change.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). What s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? And other river dolphin facts. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/whats-the-difference-between-a-dolphin-and-a-porpoise-and-other-river-dolphin-facts/

Chicago

WWF International. What s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? And other river dolphin facts. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/whats-the-difference-between-a-dolphin-and-a-porpoise-and-other-river-dolphin-facts/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=What s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? And other river dolphin facts |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/whats-the-difference-between-a-dolphin-and-a-porpoise-and-other-river-dolphin-facts/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndwhat, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{What s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? And other river dolphin facts}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/whats-the-difference-between-a-dolphin-and-a-porpoise-and-other-river-dolphin-facts/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }