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Orcas have begun wearing salmon hats again – and we may soon know why

About 40 years ago, researchers noticed a population of orcas had begun swimming around with dead fish on their heads, and now the craze is back

By Colin Barras

26 November 2024

An orca carrying a salmon in its mouth in south-east Alaska

Minden Pictures/Alamy

Some of the orcas off North America’s west coast have taken to wearing dead salmon on their heads, resurrecting a curious trend that was first reported in the 1980s.

Local photographers noticed the – and so did researchers. , science and research director for the non-profit organisation Wild Orca, was observing the marine mammals in South Puget Sound in south-west Washington a few weeks ago. “We saw one with a fish on its head,” she says. “So that was fun –…

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