The floor of the rescue facility glistens with water as Norah, a juvenile harbour porpoise, lies on the examination table. Guided by porpoise expert and station director at the time, Annemarie van den Berg, animal care workers Hester Simons and Mariëlle Staal attend to her with coordinated efficiency. Simons hydrates Norah’s skin with a soaked sponge, while Staal disinfects her fluke and collects a blood sample. The team moves in a synchronised rhythm – efficient and swift.

“The major challenge in the rehabilitation of harbour porpoises is that they do not show when something is wrong. If they would do so in the open sea, they would become easy prey,” explains van den Berg, as she measures Norah’s temperature and inspects her blowhole with a torch. For harbour porpoises, even subtle changes can signal a shift in health. “This is why we must examine them regularly and adjust their treatment accordingly,” she adds.

Norah was brought to the rescue facility in 2023 after a passerby found her stranded on the shoreline, severely weakened, dehydrated, and underweight. First responders from the Sea Animal Rescue Team transported her to the station in a specialised dolphin ambulance, where she was diagnosed with throat ulcers, a stomach inflammation, lungworms, as well as fungal and parasitic infections to the respiratory tract. Unable to swim independently, she required constant support and physical therapy to relieve muscle spasms.

Based in the Netherlands, the SOS Dolfijn Foundation is Europe’s only rescue station specialised in the rehabilitation of harbour porpoises. The facility has two indoor pools and an outdoor enclosure. Strict hygiene protocols are followed to prevent the spread of disease  and ensure patient safety. The experienced team consists of veterinarians, animal care staff, and volunteers who administer food and medications, monitor each animal’s health status, conduct physical examinations, and support sick patients in the pool around the clock. Rehabilitated cetaceans are released back into their natural environment only when they have a fair chance of long-term survival. Each porpoise must be clinically healthy, free of medication, and able to swim normally. Since its foundation in 2004, SOS Dolfijn has achieved a rehabilitation rate of above 50%. This record is somewhat unprecedented in cetacean rehabilitation initiatives, making SOS Dolfijn someting of a world leader.

In the Netherlands, between 500 and 600 harbour porpoises strand annually, the majority of which are already deceased. “Harbour porpoises are said to live life in the fast lane,” says van den  Berg. “While they can live up to 20 years in the wild, most individuals do not survive beyond eight. Since they reach sexual maturity between three and five years of age, this relatively short lifespan gives adult harbour porpoises only a limited window for reproduction, posing a threat to the long-term viability of populations.”