World's oldest killer whale presumed dead at the age of 105

By Park Sae-jin Posted : January 4, 2017, 18:10 Updated : January 4, 2017, 18:10

[Courtesy of Pixabay/ This is not a picture of J2]
 

The world's oldest killer whale known as Granny and labeled J2 has been missing for a few months. She is now presumed dead by the Center for Whale Research in San Juan Island in northwestern Washington. 

"With regret we now consider her deceased," researcher Ken Balcomb wrote on the center's website. Granny's last sighting was recorded by Balcomb in the Haro Straits on October 12, 2016.

She was known as the oldest living killer whale in the world and was estimated to have been 105 years old at the time of death. 

Her first sighting by researchers was in 1971 and her estimated age at the time was 60 years old. She was then labeled J2 along with "the largest male" that was labeled J1 of the J pod. She was a beloved member of the Southern resident killer whale community that spends time in the inland waters of Washington State.
 
There are four different communities of orcas in the US North Pacific: Southern residents, Northern residents, Southern Alaska residents, and Western Alaska North Pacific residents. Granny was part of the Southern residents community that has three different pods -- J, K, and L. The total population of Southern residents are estimated to be 78 as of December 31, 2016, according to Balcomb's center. 
 

[Courtesy of Pixabay/ This is not a photo of J2.]


Even though there have been immense efforts to revive the population of killer whales, they were listed as endangered in 2005, and the population is still not increasing due to marine pollution and habitat disruption by vessels. 
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