Porpoise visits the ship canal.A PORPOISE porpoise, small whale of the family Phocaenidae, allied to the dolphin. Porpoises, like other whales, are mammals; they are warm-blooded, breathe air, and give birth to live young, which they suckle with milk. has been sighted in the Manchester Ship Canal Manchester Ship Canal, 35.5 mi (57 km) long with a minimum depth of 28 ft (8.5 m), connecting Manchester, W England, with the Mersey estuary at Eastham, above Birkenhead. Begun in 1887, it was opened in 1894 and changed Manchester from a river port to a seaport. , more than 20 miles inland.The 5ft long harbour porpoise was first spotted yesterday morning and is now being monitored by marine experts. A spokesman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) is a British charity established in 1988 to train for, and respond to marine animals in distress in British waters and on coasts. The organisation was the subject of widespread media coverage in January 2006 due to its efforts in leading team said it was quite unusual for a porpoise to travel so far upstream, but it appeared to be in good health. He said: "When last sighted, it was around 21 miles inland, close to Latchwood Lock in Warrington. "We are keeping an eye on the situation because there is always a danger it could get trapped in the lock gates or stranded, but so far it seems to be doing fine." Porpoises normally live in seawater but can survive in freshwater for several weeks without suffering any ill-effects. The animals are now regular visitors to the River Mersey. CAPTION(S): VISITOR: This porpoise was seen near Princes Dock |
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