Orcas Wearing Salmon as Hats

1980s fashion returns… for killer whales! Orcas are spotted wearing salmon as 'hats' nearly 40 years after they were first spotted enjoying the bizarre trend

Killer whales have been spotted wearing dead fish on their heads - a look they were seen sporting nearly 40 years ago by researchers. 

Images have surfaced of orcas across Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest wearing salmon on their heads in recent weeks. 

But this is not the first time the deadly whales have been seen sporting the rather unique look. 

Back in 1987, a female orca off the US west coast was seen with a dead salmon resting on the top of her head.  

The look appeared to catch on when other female whales began to swim around with their 'fish hats'. 

Their odd behaviour had never been seen before, capturing the interest of researchers who saw it as example of an orca 'fad', as the action appeared to spread from killer whale to killer whale, despite serving no purpose. 

The trend was short lived, however, with scientists left to wonder why the marine animals ever started wearing the fish in the first place.

Killer whales have been spotted wearing dead fish on their heads

Researcher say their behaviour could be linked to a larger population of salmon in the waters this year, and because they have an abundance of fish around them, it is possible they might be saving them as a snack for later

Killer whales were first spotted wearing fish on their heads in the 1980s

But as salmon hats are back in fashion among orcas in the region, researchers say it is possible that the same whales from 1987 are simply trying to relive their youth.

Other reasons for their behaviour could be linked to a larger population of salmon in the waters this year, and because they have an abundance of fish around them, it is possible they might be saving them as a snack for later. 

Images of the fahsionable killer whales come after a family of massive orcas were captured on dystopian video footage after they were spotted gliding through the waters of Canada.

False Creek Ferries, a local ferry company in the area, was traveling from the west end of downtown Vancouver to Kitsilano Beach when passengers were stunned with four surprise visitors - a 26-year-old mother killer whale and her three calves within just 10 feet of the boat.

'It was pretty surreal,' Jack Hemsworth, the captain of the ferry, told CityNews. 'It was pretty crazy to see how big they really are, because they were bigger than the boat.'

The video shared to social media by the ferry company captured the transient killer whales - which are also known as Bigg's killer whales - as they silently glided through the harbor past a row of high-rise buildings that served as their picture-perfect backdrop.

Amazed passengers can be heard in the background in absolute awe over the stunning sight - 'wowing' every time the pod appeared back to the surface.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14140407/1980s-fashion-returns-killer-whales-Orcas-spotted-wearing-salmon-hats-nearly-40-years-spotted-enjoying-bizarre-trend.html

Killer whales gliding through the waters of Vancouver, Canada 

A 26-year-old mother killer whale and her three calves came within 10 feet of the boat

Boat rudders are a prime toy for orcas in open waters.

The trend started when one teenage whale bumped a rudder with its nose in front of its peers.

Orcas have started similar trends in the past like wearing dead salmon as hats and playing games of chicken.

Killer whales are known to play with other objects or animals in the sea also.

White Gladis (left) and Black Gladis (right) have been implicated - along with Grey Gladis - in many of the attacks on vessels off the Portuguese and Spanish coasts

Crew members of the yacht Alboran Cognac said that their ship had been damaged by orcas 14 miles from Cape Spartel, at the southern entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, in Moroccan waters

An orca circles a high-end yacht before tearing off its rudder - leaving the boat's crew adrift off the coast of Gibraltar 

Yacht sinking after being attacked by a pod of Orcas off the southern coast of Spain

Yacht sinking at night after the whales attacked

The crew were saved by the coastguard, rushing to the scene as the yacht took on water

A group of Orcas (pictured) chasing Humpback whales off Curl Curl Beach, in Sydney's Northern Beaches

An Auckland man, 50, attempting to 'body slam' an orca whale off the coast of Davenport, New Zealand