The World's Oldest Killer Whale 'Granny' Has Died Aged 105

I am sorry to announce that the world's oldest killer whale has died aged 105.

J2 - often known as 'Granny' due to her age - was initially declared missing late last year having last been seen swimming north in Haro Strait by Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research in Washington State, USA, on 12 October.

However, Balcomb has now confirmed the whale died, CTV News reports.

"We have now seen J2 thousands of times in the past 40 years, and in recent years she has been in the lead of J pod virtually every time that she has been seen by anyone," wrote Balcomb about the death.

"She is one of only a few 'resident' whales for which we do not know the precise age because she was born long before our study began."

Granny's age meant she was swimming the seas before the sinking of the Titanic.

Her death comes just two weeks after another member of killer whale group 'J pod', 18-year-old J34, was found dead near Sechelt in British Columbia, Canada from blunt force trauma.

Researchers believe the 18-year-old male was struck by a vessel and died from its injuries, but it is not yet clear how Granny died.

RIP Granny, a whale few will forget.

Featured image credit: PA Images

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Topics: RIP

James Dawson

James Dawson is a Journalist at LADbible. He has contributed articles to LADbible’s ‘Knowing Me, Knowing EU’ series on the EU referendum, the 'Electoral Dysfunction' series on the 2017 general election, the ‘U OK M8?’ series tackling mental health amongst young men, and for its ‘Climate Change’ initiative in partnership with National Geographic.

@thejaytoday