What?!?! That rocks my world...

So, today I found out two things:

1- The killer whale is also known as an orca (I thought they were different...)

2- The killer whale is in the DOLPHIN family! First I saw that on Wikipedia, and I'm like "no way. silly, silly Wikipedia," but I decided to check and see with a more reputable source. So I went to National Geographic, and sure enough, it's a dolphin! The largest dolphin, but a dolphin nonetheless. Proof! Did you know that it was not a whale, but a dolphin? I'm not sure what the difference is...but still. Hmm. Have you ever realized how many animals are not what their name implies? For example, a koala bear is not a bear. So why did they put "bear" in the name? Who knows. To confuse people...to play a biologist joke on the world...because they kinda look like bears? I'll give them a little slack because killer whales do kinda look like whales...and the "killer" part is right (apparently, they can *eat* whales, among other things)...I don't know. I wish that they'd put what it really is in the name of the animal (in the real name, not just the Latin name, which I'm assuming has the right animal family). Anyways, a killer whale is a dolphin. Rocks my world.

...despite the whole danger thing, they are very pretty animals, though. If I had to choose a whale...or rather...dolphin to be, I might just choose to be a killer whale. Although, who doesn't like Flipper?

******NEWS*******

A dolphin IS a whale! Wow, that too rocks my world. Did not know that. Thank you, Sea World's Ask Shamu section, for being educational. The Q&A is as follows:

Are whales related to dolphins?

Yes, dolphins are a kind of whale, so all dolphins are whales, but not all whales are dolphins. Other kinds of whales (that are not dolphins) include baleen whales (like gray whales and humpbacks), sperm whales, porpoises, river dolphins, beluga whales and narwhals, and beaked whales.

So, I am relieved that a killer whale is still a whale, but still surprised that it's a dolphin. Does that make sense? Hmmm... so is a river dolphin NOT a dolphin? (after all, it's included in the "other kinds of whales" list) Does my point still stand?!?!

Vocab word of the day: Indelible

1) that cannot be removed, washed away or erased; making marks that cannot be easily removed

2)lasting, unforgettable, memorable