Joey Trevino, 37, credited the creature with keeping him going when he was alone in the rocky waters off the Gulf of Mexico and all hoped seemed lost.
The father, from San Antonio, Texas, had been on a fishing trip with his uncle and two friends last Saturday when their 25ft boat began to take on water and sank, ABC News reported.
"We noticed all the water coming on board and, the whole front of the boat started going up," Mr Trevino told the news channel.
All three men were wearing life vests, but Mr. Trevino drifted away from his companions, who were spotted by another vessel on Sunday and pulled to safety after 24 hours at sea.
Mr. Trevino waited alone for help to arrive and thought about his wife and children to give him the strength to keep going.
"You're looking at the clouds," he said. "You're looking at whatever to try to keep you focused."
Alone at sea, Mr. Trevino said that as he drifted he encountered a porpoise which gave him the strength to fight on and eventually swim to safety.
"He kind of bumped me, and I kind of rubbed him, and he kind of changed my attitude right there," Mr. Trevino said. "He kind of ... gives you hope."
Mr Trevino held on until crew members from an oil tanker heard his cries for help and called the Coast Guard who lifted him to safety.
"When he came up, he seemed very aware of his surroundings," said the Coast Guard's Guy Walkner. "He was shaking. We were able to give him a blanket."
Despite a few bumps and bruises, along with cuts on his hands and a hoarse voice, Mr. Trevino was lucky to escape without any major injuries.
The warm water temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico, which are in the mid-80s, helped him avoid the danger of hypothermia, despite the many hours he spent at sea.
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