Granny’s age is estimated at 105 years old, which would make her one of the oldest killer whales.
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The 105-year-old whale nicknamed “Granny” was seen on July 27 swimming with a few other whales, and seemed to be in “high spirits”, according to a whale-sighting report shared by Orca Network.
Whale watchers spotted humpback named “Granny or J2” on July 27th.
The Orca Network wrote on its website, ‘J2 Granny looking gorgeous!
The Southern Residents – despite being listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act – have some extraordinary longevity stories, including the female K7, or Lummi, who died in 2008 at the age of 98, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA). Orcas reach full size around the age of 20, so they made the estimated birth year for J1 Ruffles as 1951 (1971 – 20 years). “The Telegraph quoted Simon Pidcock, from Ocean EcoVentures Whale Watching as saying, ‘ In Granny’s lifetime she has swam around the world the equivalent of a 100 times”. Since Granny was never seen with a new calf since the study began, they assumed she was post-reproductive, and that perhaps Ruffles was her last calf.
Granny was first spotted and photographed in 1971.
She was in ocean waters before the Titanic made its voyage across the Atlantic.
Why, she’s even the honorary mayor of Eastsound, Washington, and you can read her June “mayoral address” here.
Though killer whales can look very similar to each other, there are ways to tell them apart, like differences in their markings or by scars or notches in their fins.
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So how do they know J2 Granny was born a year before the Titanic went down?
