The scientific name of the killer whale is Orcinus orca, which is the source of their other common name, orca. The name killer whale causes many misconceptions about this noble beast. First, killer whales are not whales at all. They are, in fact, dolphins (the largest dolphins, actually).Second, they are not particularly violent creatures. Some are hunters, and prey on a variety of creatures, such as squid, shark, otters, sea lions, penguins, birds, octopii, dolphins, and salmon.he scientific name of the killer whale is Orcinus orca, which is the source of their other common name, orca. The name killer whale causes many misconceptions about this noble beast. First, killer whales are not whales at all. They are, in fact, dolphins (the largest dolphins, actually).