Granny (orca)

J2 Granny
SpeciesOrca (Orcinus orca)
SexFemale
Bornc. 1936–1951
Diedc. October–December 2016 (aged 65–80)
Known forLong life
AppearanceGray "saddle patch" behind dorsal fin; half-moon notch in dorsal fin

Granny (born c. 1936-1951 approx, died c. 2016), also known as J2, was a female orca of the J pod of southern resident orcas notable for her long life. Early estimates placed her birth in 1911, putting her at 105 years old at the time of her death. However, this estimate was later theorized to have been based on mistaken information and more recent studies put her at 65–80 years old.[1][2][3] If she was 105, she would have been the oldest known orca at the time of her death.[4][5][6][7] Granny lived in the northeast Pacific Ocean and coastal bays of Washington state and British Columbia. She was last seen on October 12, 2016, and was considered deceased by The Center for Whale Research in January 2017.[8][2]

  1. ^ "Oldest Puget Sound Orca, 'Granny,' Missing and Presumed Dead". abcnews.go.com. ABC News. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Tegna. "Oldest Southern Resident killer whale considered dead". KING5.com. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  3. ^ Podt, Annemieke (December 31, 2016). "Orca Granny: was she really 105?". Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  4. ^ Bender, Kelli. "Granny, World's Oldest Orca, Returns to Home Waters at 103 Years Old : People.com Mobile". People.com. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  5. ^ Luba, Frank (May 12, 2014). "B.C.'s matriarch orca 'Granny' is still going strong at 103". Theprovince.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  6. ^ Ellison, Jake (May 12, 2014). "Oldest living orca 'Granny' visits NW over Mother's Day weekend – The Big Science Blog". Blog.seattlepi.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  7. ^ "Orca 'Granny,' 103, comes home for Mother's Day – British Columbia". CBC.ca. CBC News. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  8. ^ "Center for Whale Research". Center for Whale Research. Retrieved January 3, 2017.