| Language of origin | English language |
| Feature Type: | Bay - Water area in an indentation of the shoreline of a sea, lake, or large river. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | Head of Sechelt Inlet, New Westminster Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 49°30'19"N, 123°46'00"W at the approximate centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 92G/12 |
| Related Maps: |
92G/12 92G/5 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Adopted 27 July 1945 on C3598, as labelled on British Admiralty Chart 579, 1860 et seq, and on BC Lands' map 2A, 1914. Coordinates adjusted 29 July 1964 on C3589, as advised by Canadian Hydrographic Service. Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff. |
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Named in 1860 by Captain Richards, RN, while surveying these waters. Significance/anecdote/species not recorded. Harbour porpoise, Dall's porpoise, white-sided dophins and orcas are observed in the Inlet. Porpoises and dolphins are within the Cetacean suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales), and are closely related to one of the most well-known whales found on the coast, the orca (aka "killer whale" or "blackfish" which actually are just large oceanic dolphins). Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff. |
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Porpoise Bay extends southward from a line drawn between Four Mile Point and the point on the north side of Snake Bay. (May 1964 advice from Canadian Hydrographic Service, file C.1.45) Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff. |