Sixteen harbor porpoises were found washed up on Santa Barbara beaches in 2008. This number is up from an average of one or two per year, said Michelle Berman, the assistant curator at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
The growing number of dead porpoises remains a mystery to marine biologists. A total of 74 porpoise carcasses were reported to have washed up on California shores last year.
Scientists with Okeanis, a nonprofit conservation group based in Moss Landing, suspect bottlenose dolphins have been attacking porpoises because the bodies are found with rake marks and internal bleeding. In September, the group captured the only known video footage of bottlenose dolphins attacking a porpoise in Monterey Bay.
The video captured by Okeanis researchers shows a group of male dolphins corralling a porpoise, then smashing its body with their beaks and scraping and raking it with their teeth. The dolphins drown the porpoise by jumping on it, and then bring the carcass to the Okeanis researchers and swim away.
According to a report by the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the Okeanis researchers are unsure why dolphins would attack harbor porpoises. They ruled out competition for food as a factor, saying sea lions would be a more likely candidates for attacks if food were the issue. Berman added that there is no significant effect on the local marine food chain since the number of porpoises killed remains low.
Berman said Okeanis is seeking answers to the mystery of whether and why bottlenose dolphins might be killing harbor porpoises.


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Wow, gang violence has moved into the ocean now. These dolphins are straight thugs!
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
November 11, 2009 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"... The dolphins drown the porpoise by jumping on it, and then bring the carcass to the Okeanis researchers and swim away ..."
Sounds more like a Mafia thing. What's their message to the researchers?
EastBeach (anonymous profile)
November 11, 2009 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He was dead when I got there, I swear!
eightdolphins (anonymous profile)
November 11, 2009 at 6:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Okeanis, your boy sleeps with the fishes"
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
November 11, 2009 at 8:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We condemn this act of violence and call for healing between the members of the cetacean community.
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
November 11, 2009 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Save our race. Know the truth.
http://www.anti-dolphin.org/
sbsailor (anonymous profile)
November 12, 2009 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons."
- Douglas Adams
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
November 12, 2009 at 6:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sbsailor: You are a typical example of an ignorant, speciest human. Your calumnious propaganda is something which we will address.
For many years we dolphins have endured threats, insults, patronzining comments, and dirty looks from you humans, and now you post this website which makes US look bad!
Your little propaganda link takes truths and twists them around. You point out on your link that we "breed with Killer Whales". Did you ever ask yourself why? Here's a hint sbsailor (probably not even your real name) we're breeding with them because the porpoises and humans are killing us off. We recognize that by creating a race of cetacean with the intellect of a dolphin and the fighting capacity of a whale, we can overcome the pugnacious porpoises.
From the "Dolphin Scenarios" link of the site you posted, it says "Scenario #1: Attack at the worst time.
World War III has ended. Nations all around the world have suffered heavy losses. Everyone everywhere is mourning their dead. At the worst time, the dolphins attack."
Nice try sailor boy, but how 'bout pointing out it will be humans who start World War 3! Quit blaming US on what humans do!
"Scenario #2: Telepathic Human Control
FACT: Dolphins have larger brains than humans.
Dolphins may have greater mental abilities than humans. They could very well have telepathic abilities. Instead of using telepathy to communicate with humans, they could be using it subliminally gain control of our minds. This causes us to "like" them and this could eventually cause us to obey their every command."
Uhm... nice try but we are not so intelligent that we can manipulate humans through osmosis. FYI, the Sperm Whale, which is not as intelligent as the dolphin, has the largest brain. (Please see link below)
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Questi...
You are a boor, a bigot, and are typical of the bond between humans of porpoises...it's a conspiracy! The attack that happened, while unfortunate, is the result of how humans and our sellout cetacean counterparts have teamed up against us. You may consider the fact that the types of fishing that are happening may be throwing off the eco-balance in the ocean thus causing these attacks.
Oh, and the best part of this is that as the oceans rise, your little S.B. paradise will be underwater and we will take over what was once your stomping grounds while you are forced inland...uh wait, the former Inland Empire will be beachfront property.
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
November 12, 2009 at 6:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sbsailor: I would also add to my above comments that the site you posted was one of the funniest sites I've seen in a long time. I forwarded it to several people and they too loved it. It's good to know that some people don't take themselves too seriously. Thanks for posting.
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
November 14, 2009 at 3:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Right on Dolpins! Dolphins are our friends, too bad we haven't been the same in return.
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
November 17, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://thundafunda.com/393/images/wal...
So here we are, in person
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
November 18, 2009 at 4:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)