J2 Granny

Granny, also known as J2, was estimated by researchers to be around 105 years old at the time of her death, though some estimates ranged even higher. Her age was calculated using demographic data and historical sighting records compiled by the Center for Whale Research. She was last seen in October 2016 and was presumed dead shortly after.

Granny was officially declared missing and presumed dead by the Center for Whale Research in early 2017, after not being seen since October 2016. Her disappearance marked the end of decades of observation as the matriarch of J pod within the Southern Resident killer whale community. Researchers had tracked her consistently since the 1970s.

Granny was the matriarch of J pod, one of the three pods that make up the Southern Resident killer whale population in the Pacific Northwest. J pod, along with K and L pods, frequents the waters of the Salish Sea, including areas around Washington State and British Columbia. Granny played a central leadership role in guiding J pod's movements and social structure.

The Center for Whale Research, based on San Juan Island, Washington, tracked Granny for several decades as part of their long-term study of Southern Resident killer whales. Observations of Granny and her pod helped establish that male orcas can live several decades and females can live well beyond 80 years in the wild. Her long life also provided insight into the importance of matriarchal leadership in orca social structure.