Why are Orca Whales Chordates?

Chordates are animals that have a supportive, skeletal rod called a notochord; a dorsal, tubular nerve chord; pharyngeal pouches; an endostyle (thyroid gland); and a post-anal tail.  Orca Whales exhibit all of these characteristics.  Orca Whales also are bilaterally symmetric and cephalized (having a sensory organs all centralized in an anterior head), which are common characteristics or Chordates.