Orcas Started Wearing Dead Salmon Hats – A Fishy Fashion Trend from the ’80s?

In 1987, observers noted an odd behavior among orcas off the Pacific Northwest: some whales were seen carrying dead salmon on their heads. This curious display quickly caught the attention of those studying these marine mammals, and now, decades later, similar behavior has been recorded again. It seems that after all these years, orcas are once more seen with what can only be described as a salmon hat.

Back then, the sight of a killer whale with a fish balanced atop its head was unexpected, and it raised many questions. Scientists began to wonder if this was just a playful moment or if the whales were experimenting with objects in their environment. Recent sightings indicate that this behavior has reappeared in the waters off Washington. While the exact reasons behind the behavior are still unknown, the fact that it has resurfaced after so many years suggests that there may be factors in the whales’ environment or social structure that encourage such interactions.

One interesting piece of evidence comes from drone footage captured during fieldwork in 2019 by a team from Ocean Wise. Their research, which focuses on assessing body condition in killer whales and humpback whales by collecting aerial images, has provided new details on how these animals interact with their surroundings. In one striking example, a young male orca known as A99—also called “Alder”—was seen balancing a dead salmon on his head.

What made this moment particularly interesting was the involvement of his mother, A50 “Clio.” During the encounter, Clio repeatedly picked up the salmon and dropped it in front of Alder. He would then take the fish and carry it along, not immediately consuming it. By the end of the drone flight, it was clear that while Alder eventually took a small bite, he still treated the salmon more like a playful object than a meal.

Now, adding to the series of sightings is new evidence from the Orca Network published on social media by the Georgia Strait Alliance. A screenshot shared highlights a fresh sighting from October 25. In this case, a member of the Southern Resident J-pod, identified as J27 Blackberry, was seen with a dead salmon on its head.

The post noted that this behavior was first spotted in a female 37 years ago and “the dead fish accessories quickly became must-haves for the rest of the pod.” According to the Alliance, it might be the same pod now engaging in this trend.

In fact, some researchers believe that the killer whales wearing salmon hats today might be the same ones that started the trend almost 40 years ago. “It does seem possible that some individuals that experienced [the behavior] the first time around may have started it again,” Andrew Foote, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Oslo in Norway, told New Scientist.

“Why are they doing this? No one really knows. In one case, the hat became a snack after 30 minutes, but there’s not enough examples to know for sure, leaving us at GSA with lots of questions…” the Alliance’s post concluded.

Indeed, these recent observations leave many questions in the air. Researchers are curious about why these whales pick up and carry the fish, whether it is simply a playful act or something that happens under certain conditions.

When orcas were first spotted with salmon hats in the 1980s, the behavior was reported in several articles and discussed among marine experts. Now, with renewed sightings, scientists are looking to compare the two periods. They want to know if the conditions that led to the behavior back in 1987 are similar to those today. Is it simply a case of the whales having fun with an available object, or could there be another reason?

It is to be noted that some scientists are doubtful whether there is such a trend at all. Experts told Smithsonian Magazine that a few viral photos don’t prove orcas are reviving an old habit. According to them, it is indeed more likely just playful behavior, similar to how they interact with kelp or other objects. Other researchers, however, find the recurring nature of the phenomenon odd enough to prompt further investigation.

So, the unusual fashion trend of orcas wearing salmon hats seems to be making a comeback, and of course, many people find this amusing and thought-provoking. Thanks to modern research techniques like drone-based monitoring, we are now able to watch these peculiar interactions more closely—so more sightings are expected!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5