Is orcas whale a proper noun?

Answer 1

No, both the nouns orcas and whale are common nouns, words for any orca or any whale of any kind.

A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, thing, or a title; for example:

• Keiko, the orca that played Willy in the 1993 movie "Free Willy"
• Orcas Island, San Juan County, WA
• Orca Avenue, Perris, CA orNew Whale Street, Nantucket, MA
• White Whale Ale, product of Rogue Ales,Newport, OR andPowell's City of Books, Portland OR
• "Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught Us" by Alexandra Morton, Canadian American marine biologist

Answer 2

The noun 'whales' is a common noun, the plural form for the singular 'whale', a word for any whale of any kind, anywhere. A common noun is capitalized only when it is the first word in a sentence.

A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, thing, or a title; for example:

• Professor John Whale, Faculty of Arts, Leeds University, Leeds, UK
• Whale Beach, New South Wales, Australia
• Grey Whale Bar & Cafe, Mendocino, CA
• "The Whales of August" 1987 movie with Bette Davis and Lillian Gish