To this day, the harbor porpoise remains a mystery, as it is extremely difficult to study it in the wild. Yet, it is now more important than ever to understand this small cetacean. Since 2020, the harbor porpoise has been listed as “critically endangered” by the German Red Species List and strandings continue to occur along European coastlines. This is why a network of institutes in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany have joined forces to record, save and protect the only whale species living in the North and Baltic Seas. This project dives into the work of these institutes, illustrating that even species that appear insignificant at first glance make a valuable contribution to our oceans and are worth protecting.