Particle Data Platform
Outside/In

Big porpoise energy

6/17/202631 min

Whales have Free Willy. Dolphins have Flipper. But what about the humble porpoise?  The porpoise doesn’t star in any Hollywood blockbusters. These shy, elusive “deer of the sea” are often overshadowed by their more charismatic cousins – but don’t let their social anxiety fool you. In fact, porpoises are speed-fiends with an insane metabolism and an outrageous sex drive. Host Nate Hegyi and producer Marina Henke explore the Olympic sprinters of the sea and wonder if the fate of the endangered vaquita might hinge on being oh-so-very-cute.  Featuring Michelle Dutro, Barb Lake and Ruxandra Guidi. Produced by Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. Ripped logo credit: Jeremy Keith / Flickr SUPPORT We launched a Patreon! Become an Outside/Insider for just $5 a month, and you can get AD-FREE episodes of the podcast, plus access to behind-the-scenes blog posts and more.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS The second season of Rux Guidi’s podcast, The Catch, covered the plight of the vaquita.  In 1999, the Department of Defense studied the speed and hydrodynamics of dolphins, whales and porpoises to build better underwater drones.  Here’s a picture of a porpoise penis, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clips

Porpoise's Astounding Body Ratio
Vaquita: Ten Left on Earth
Dolphins Commit Porpoicide
Cheering for Orca Predation
You Can't Hear Porpoise Clicks

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Nate Heggie· Host0:00

    All right, from NHPR, this is Outside In, a show where curiosity and the natural world collide. I am your host, Nate Heggie, here with producer Marina Henke.

  2. Marina Henke· Host0:09

    Hello.

  3. Nate Heggie· Host0:10

    So Marina, have you ever gone whale watching?

  4. Marina Henke· Host0:12

    I have not gone whale watching, no.

  5. Nate Heggie· Host0:15

    Have you ever wanted to?

  6. Marina Henke· Host0:16

    Oh, yeah, I've wanted to, but I mean, when you grow up in the Midwest, it's like there's not, you know, you're not going whale watching on spring break.

  7. Nate Heggie· Host0:21

    You live in Portland, Maine now. Like, you can go whale watching any weekend you want.

  8. Marina Henke· Host0:27

    You know what? You're right. Sometimes I forget as an adult, you can actualize your dreams.

  9. Nate Heggie· Host0:31

    Exactly, like I actualized my dream, and I actually did go whale watching recently, and it was everything I hoped for.

  10. Rux Guidi· Guest0:39

    Look at her go.

  11. Bill Kerr0:40

    Goodness.

  12. Rux Guidi· Guest0:42

    She's just going parallel.

  13. Bill Kerr0:43

    Yeah.

  14. Nate Heggie· Host0:44

    Best part, humpback whale surfaced about 25 yards from our boat.

  15. Rux Guidi· Guest0:49

    There she goes.

  16. Bill Kerr0:51

    My God.

  17. Rux Guidi· Guest0:52

    Yay.

  18. Bill Kerr0:52

    [laughs] Oh.

  19. Nate Heggie· Host0:54

    [laughs] Point is, whales are super popular. Like, I argue that whales are, um, the Harry Styles of the natural world. Like, everybody loves them. People cry with joy when they see them in person. I mean, they've even released an album, Songs of the Humpback, released back in 1970.

  20. Marina Henke· Host1:15

    [singing] Harry Styles is gonna listen to this. He's gonna be like, "I don't know if I agree with that comparison."

  21. Nate Heggie· Host1:23

    I, okay, I, I could have said anything. I could've said, like, The Beatles or, you know, I'm not saying, like, Harry Styles is a whale.

  22. Marina Henke· Host1:28

    I [laughs] okay, stop, stop while you're ahead.

We value your privacy

We use cookies to understand how you use our platform and to improve your experience. Click "Accept All" to consent, or "Decline non-essential" to opt out of non-essential cookies. Read our Privacy Policy.