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 Some

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

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2024-11-28 15:00:05

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

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 salmon-wearing orcas last month – and so did researchers. Deborah Giles, 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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