Written by Have you ever heard of an orca wearing a hat? It might sound strange or funny, but it’s true!
Off the West Coast, orcas are bringing back a strange trend that hasn’t happened in 37 years since the 1980s: salmon hats.
You might be asking, what’s a salmon hat?
It’s exactly what it sounds like—killer whales with dead salmon on their heads!
In October 2024, researchers spotted orcas balancing dead salmon on their heads in South Puget Sound and near Point No Point in Washington State.
This is the first time they’ve done this since 1987 when a female orca from the West Coast started this strange trend by carrying a dead fish on her nose for no clear reason.
Within a few weeks, the rest of her group also joined in and began wearing dead salmon. But just as quickly as it started, the trend faded away.
Why Do Orcas Do That?
Years later, scientists are still puzzled about why the salmon hat trend started and why it’s returning.
One theory from scientists is that it might not just be a fashion statement or a silly trend but a smart way for orcas to save extra salmon for later.
Salmon hats are a great example of a “fad,” which happens when a few animals start a new behavior that others follow for a while before it fades away.
In the 1980s, this trend lasted just a year, and by the summer of 1988, orcas had stopped wearing dead fish on their heads.
Researchers think the orcas wearing salmon hats today may be the same ones who were in on the trend nearly 40 years ago.
Experts also think this salmon hat trend might be linked to plenty of available food. Right now, South Puget Sound is full of chum salmon, and since orcas have more food than they can eat right away, they might be using their heads to hold onto fish.
Orcas have placed food in various spots, like under their fins or beside their bodies. Since salmon is too small to hold securely there, they might find it easier to balance the extra salmon on their heads.
However, the true reason for this is still unknown, and researchers need more information and time to monitor these salmon hat-wearing orcas to know the real reason.
