One of the world's oldest orcas presumed dead

Tuesday, January 3, 2017, 7:16 PM - The matriarch of a small population of endangered Puget Sound orcas has been missing for months and is presumed dead, according to the Centre for Whale Research (CWR) in Washington state.

The killer whale named J2, otherwise known as Granny, is believed to be around 105 years old. She was last seen by the centre in October.

"I last saw her on October 12, 2016 as she swam north in Haro Strait far ahead of the others," noted researcher with CWR Ken Balcomb in a statement. "Perhaps other dedicated whale-watchers have seen her since then, but by year's end she is officially missing from the SRKW [Southern Resident Killer Whales] population, and with regret we now consider her deceased."

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Courtesy: JR2 -- Centre for Whale Research

Granny has been spotted thousands of times at the head of her pod since the centre started studying the group in 1976. She was one of the first orcas identified.

"She is one of only few 'resident' whales for which we do not know the precise age because she was born long before our study began," noted Balcomb. "In 1987 we estimated that she was at least 45 years old and was more likely to have been 76 years old."

According to NOAA Fisheries, females typically live about 50 years, but can live as long as 100 years.

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Killer whales are a very family oriented species that travel together, which is why researchers believe Granny may have died as other members of her pod have been photographed without her.

The population of southern residents is now down to 78 as of Dec. 31, 2016, according to the centre.

Chinook salmon and other fish stocks that orcas feed on are dwindling in the region, which is one of several reasons why researchers say there is a decline in the population.

At least seven orcas were declared missing or dead in 2016, including J-34, a male that was found deceased near B.C.'s Sunshine Coast last month. A necropsy determined the whale likely died of blunt force trauma.

Killer whales were first listed as endangered in 2005.

SOURCE: NOAA | Center for Whale Research