Oldest Known Killer Whale Turns 105

This orca was swimming in the ocean before the Titanic made its ill-fated voyage across the Atlantic. This means she has survived two world wars and her existence pre-dates than women’s right to vote. The orca name J2 Granny was spotted last week and estimates put her age at 105 years old. According to the Orca Network, J2 Granny was spotted swimming in high spirits just of the coast of Washington state.  News reports suggest the Orca is thought to have been born in 1911 which would make her the oldest known living killer whale.

Margin of error

The Orca Network has said there is a margin of error of about 12 years surrounding her age. This means J2 Granny could be as young as 90, however that would still far exceed the average lifespan of a killer whale in the wild which ranges from between 60 to 80 years. During her lifetime J2 Granny has been seen swimming up the coast of Washington and Canada. She has even managed to dabble in politics in between her migrations. Granny was recently awarded the title of Honorary Mayor of Eastound Washington and gave a mayoral address back in June.

Whales should be left in the wild

Whilst her age is impressive, Granny is not a loner she is frequently spotted travelling with the J-pod which is a group of approximately 25 killer whales the Orca Network says. Researchers are able to tell her apart from the other whales by her dorsal fin which has a grey patch right behind it. Many have held up the ancient orca as reason for keeping whales out of captivity and allowing them to remain in the wild. According to the Orca Network, killer whales rarely survive more than ten years in captivity as a result of extreme stress and injuries.