What is the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise?
A. There are slight physical differences between dolphins and porpoises: * Porpoise teeth are shaped like spades and each tooth has a long, sharp upper edge. * Dolphin teeth are shaped like cones and are pointed. * Porpoises tend to be smaller than dolphins and usually do not have pronounced beaks. * Whales, dolphins and porpoises are in the same scientific group Cetacea. * “Whale” is a common name used to describe a large cetacea. It relates to relative size, much like the distinction between “boat” and “ship”. * Killer whales, melon headed whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales are all part of the dolphin family, but are called whales because of their size.
