Abstract

In April 1997, two sub-adult harbor porpoises bycaught in a pound net were taken to a new outdoor facility in Kerteminde in Denmark. The purpose of this facility is to provide opportunities for research, especially on reduction of harbor porpoise bycatch, for educational purposes and creating more public awareness.

After a period of acclimation in an indoor holding pool and after hand feeding was successfully performed, the animals were released into a 18 x 50 meter open water outdoor pool. Detailed medical monitoring was applied since the first day, including weighing, measuring length, girth and blubber thickness, blood, blowhole, urine sampling, endoscopy, etc. Training is conducted to allow the medical monitoring on a voluntary basis and to habituate the animals to research projects.

Information about the development of the health status, including occurrence of pox virus, as well as development of nutritional condition and blubber thickness over the first year will be provided yielding unique information of the physiology of these animals in their natural environment.