The killer whale is a type of dolphin.
The killer whale or orca ( Orcinus orca ) is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family , of which it is the largest member . Oceanic dolphins or Delphinidae are a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea . They include several big species whose common names contain `` whale '' rather than `` dolphin '' , such as the killer whale and the pilot whales . Some have a global distribution , like the killer whale .