Orcas revive bizarre salmon headwear trend in Pacific waters

The macabre trend of wearing "hats" made of dead fish was initially noticed in 1987. According to experts from the ORCA organization, it was started by a female.

Over time, this behavior was adopted by the whole pod, but the trend lasted only a year, ending in 1988. Now, nearly four decades later, orcas have been spotted swimming with salmon on their heads again in the southern part of Puget Sound and off the coast of Point No Point, Washington State.

Scientists suggest that the resurgence of this trend could be linked to orcas recalling behaviors from the past. Andrew Foote, an ecologist at the University of Oslo, indicated in an interview with "New Scientist" that it is likely some individuals who practiced this behavior previously have resumed it.

Wearing "hats" is an example of behavior researchers describe as a fad. It involves single individuals initiating an action that becomes popular in the group for a short time. This phenomenon has no practical purpose and fades away over time.

Experts speculate that orcas' current behavior may be related to the exceptionally large availability of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), a fish from the salmon family, in the southern part of Puget Sound.

Deborah Giles from the University of Washington explains that marine mammals can store larger pieces of food under their fins. Small fish like salmon are harder to store, so the animals transport them on their heads. Similar behavior has also been observed in other Pacific regions, with orcas holding food in various parts of their bodies to save it for later.

Although it is unknown whether the current trend will spread more widely, the reappearance of this phenomenon is a fascinating example of social interactions in the wild animal world.