Big porpoise energy

Outside/In

NHPR

Natural Sciences, Documentary, Science, Nature, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

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

Transcript

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0:00.0	All right, from NHPR, this is Outside In, a show where Curiosity and the Natural World Collide.
0:04.9	I am your host, Nate Hedgy, here with producer Marina Hankey. Hello. So, Marina, have you ever gone whale watching? I have not gone whale watching. No. Have you ever wanted to? Oh, yeah, I've wanted to. But, I mean, when you grew up in the Midwest, it's like there's not, you know, you're not going whale watching on spring break. You live in Portland, Maine now. Like, you can go whale watching any weekend you want. You know what, you're right. Sometimes I forget as an adult, you can actualize your dreams. Exactly. Like, I actualized my dream, and I actually did go whale watching recently, and it was everything I hoped for.
0:39.7	Best part, humpback whale surfaced about 25 yards from our boat.
0:50.5	There she goes!
0:52.3	Yeah!
0:55.2	Point is, whales are super popular.
0:59.4	Like, I argue that whales are the hairy styles of the natural world.
1:06.4	Like, everybody loves them.
1:08.1	People cry with joy when they see them in person.
1:11.8	I mean, they've even released an album, Songs of the Humpback, released back in 1970.
1:19.2	Harry Styles is going to listen this. He's going to be like, I don't know if I agree with that
1:22.4	comparison. I don't know. Okay, I could have said anything. I could say like the Beatles or,
1:26.0	you know, I'm not saying like Harry Styles is a whale.
1:28.4	Okay, stop, stop all your head.
1:30.0	Stop all your head.
1:36.4	It's not just whales, right?
1:38.0	Like, it's a lot of marine mammals are super popular.
1:40.6	I mean, just look at Hollywood movies.
1:42.3	You know, killer whales, they have free Willie.
1:44.4	Yeah, they do. Come on, Willie. You know the signals. Sea lions have Andre.
1:49.6	You've got a seal for a pet. Humpback whales. They have an entire Star Trek movie.
1:54.3	What's going to happen when you release the whales? But I want to talk about a marine mammal
	...

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