Overview

• The 'salmon hat' behavior, last observed in 1987, has returned among orcas in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.
• The trend involves killer whales balancing dead salmon on their heads, a behavior that spread rapidly within pods in the 1980s before disappearing by 1988.
• Researchers speculate the resurgence may be linked to a surplus of salmon in the area or could be a playful behavior among the highly intelligent species.
• Some of the orcas exhibiting this behavior may be the same individuals from the original 1987 trend, as killer whales can live up to 100 years.
• Orcas are known for their cultural learning and innovative hunting techniques, with other documented behaviors including attacking great white sharks and using waves to dislodge seals from ice floes.