Dolphin or orca?
How to tell them apart
An orca is far bigger than other dolphins, with males at 6–8 m, and has bold black-and-white markings with white eye patches.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, do people eat it.
| Question | Dolphin | Orca |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? differs | No | Can be |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? | Day & night | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? differs | In places | No |
At a glance
| Question | Dolphin | Orca |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Oceans | Oceans |
| Habitat differs | Open ocean, Coast, Rivers & lakes | Open ocean, Coast, Polar |
| Size differs | Large | Huge |
| Length differs | 2.3–3.8 m (common bottlenose dolphin) | Males 6–8 m, females 5–7 m |
| Weight differs | 260–500 kg (common bottlenose dolphin) | Males over 6 tonnes, females 3–4 tonnes |
| Legs | None | None |
| Covered in | Skin | Skin |
| Lives | In pods | In pods |
| Lives for differs | 40–60 years | 50–80 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Dolphin
Around 40 species of toothed whale, from the 1.7 m Maui’s dolphin to the orca, the largest at 9.5 m. Most live in the sea, but a few live in rivers in South Asia and South America.
Everything on the dolphin page
Orca
The largest member of the dolphin family, black above and white below with white eye patches. Orcas are apex predators found in every ocean, living in family pods whose hunting methods and calls pass down the generations.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.