In 2005, thanks to second-graders in the town of Oak Harbor, the state marine mammal of Washington became the orca. What word was once used interchangeably to mean an orca?

These days, grampus refers mainly to Risso's Dolphin, which is a smaller species of dolphin about 13 feet long. Because the word is derived from the Latin terms for “great” and “fish," it has applied to many species over the years, including the orca.

Asked by Tom Cohen · Last updated 5 years ago · 785 views