Pods of orcas seen hunting large whales in the 18th Century earned them the name “whale killers”, which was later flipped to killer whales; but they’re actually the largest member of the dolphin family!
The dolphin family—perhaps confusingly—is in a larger classification of whales, dolphins, and porpoises known as “toothed whales.” They’re adept hunters of marine mammals and fish, and sperm whales eat squid!
Whales without teeth—like humpback, blue or minke— are known as baleen whales. This refers to the large, comb-like structures that are used as a soup strainer to remove food such as krill or herring from scooping up huge mouthfuls of water!
Collectively, all whales and dolphins are known as cetaceans. So now you know!
