are killer whales actually dolphins
Orcas are dolphins they are called killer whales because of their size and how they kill. They kill use mostly their weight and the strength of their jaws.An orca, or killer whale, is in the family Delphinidae, making it a dolphin by classification. Orcas are dolphins they are called killer whales because of their size and how they kill. They kill use mostly their weight and the strength of their jaws. An orca, or killer whale, is in the family Delphinidae, making it a dolphin by classification. However, all dolphins are in the order Cetacea, making all dolphins to be whales. Dolphins (and thus orcas) a family in the sub-order of toothed whales, which belongs to the order of whales. This gave them the nickname 'whale killer', later turned into killer whale. When you think of a dolphin, you think of a slender, acrobatic animal with a long snout, and probably of a grey colour. But really, whale is just used for the size, and dolphins are basically a large group of toothed whales. Amazing video catches deadly confrontation between killer whales and dolphins. This is the moment a pod of killer whales lured dolphins into a bay and savagely attacked them as tourists looked on in horror. Ferry passengers were taking photos and videos of the elegant creatures skirting at pace over the waves in Canada's Nanaimo Departure Bay. Killer whales are actually dolphins. They are the largest member of the dolphin family and are commonly referred to as orcas. A Killer Whale, or Orca, is the largest of the true dolphins, family Delphinidae. That is probably the only reason it is called a whale instead of a dolphin. Killer whales will enthusiastically eat either seals or sea lions (and many other marine critters too). They are non-biased eaters. Inside the mouth of the orca (a kinder gentler name for killer whale), the last thing that some seals, sea lions, fish, squid, porpoise, whales, and many other sea creatures ever see. These dolphins belong to the suborder Odontoceti, which means they are toothed whales. Other toothed whales include sperm whales (the biggest), beaked whales, bottlenose whales, porpoises, beluga whales, narwhals, river dolphins, pygmy sperm whales, and dwarf sperm whales. Top of Page. The strange looking Narwhals (pictured above) are also members of the toothed whale (odontoceti) club. Members of the delphinidae family are ocean going dolphins (as opposed to river dolphins). So killer whales are in the same family as dolphins. Top of Page. The strange looking Narwhals (pictured above) are also members of the toothed whale (odontoceti) club. You certainly have a point there. Orcas are indeed dolphins, not whales. However, being the largest of all dolphin species, orcas rule the oceans of the world. They are some of the most successful hunters alive, possessing the ability of killing even larger whales. Therefore, they were called whale killers, since they could kill whales. But what about killer whales. They are supposedly in the same suborder as dolphins (and even in the same family - Delphinidae) but they have whale in their name. The same is true of pilot whales and narwhals (note that whal is not whale) and beaked whales and bottlenose whales.
Yes,killer whales are actually dolphins.