A resident orca off Washington state's coast was recently spotted with a dead salmon on its head, reminiscent of the 1980s when similar behavior was observed. Experts are puzzled by this behavior, which they consider a positive sign of playfulness among the whales.
In what may seem like a call-back to 1980s whale culture, a resident orca off the coast of Washington state was recently spotted sporting a dead salmon on its head.
But scientists never understood why, and experts are still scratching their heads as they contemplate the most recent incident, documented in October. "Check out this photo of J27 Blackberry sporting a salmon hat, taken from Point No Point! May they continue to find lots of fish during their stay here in inland Puget Sound," reads a blurb accompanying the photo in the organization's recent newsletter.Howard Garrett, who co-founded Orca Network in 2001, said while the behaviour is a mystery, he believes it's a form of communication.
The J Pod was in inland Puget Sound continuously for more than a month this fall, feasting on fish thanks to a huge chum salmon run, Garrett said.Trites interprets the sighting as good news from an orca population that has been struggling. "I wasn't here for the first round of the 'salmon hat' trend, but apparently in 1987, a female from K Pod started carrying a dead salmon on her head," she told CHEK News.
"This was a real trend in the 80s where, over the course of a summer season, southern residents carried dead salmon on their heads, one of several whale 'fads' that have come and gone over the years," she told CHEK News.
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