Salmon hat

Apr 23, 2026 - 02:32
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Salmon hat

Reverted good faith edits by Sabretoothmike (talk): This isn't an article on orca behaviors, it's about one specific behavior; does not belong in lead

← Previous revision Revision as of 21:00, 22 April 2026
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{{short description|Cultural fad displayed by orcas}}
{{short description|Cultural fad displayed by orcas}}
A '''salmon hat''' is a cultural [[fad]] displayed by [[orca]]s, in which they wear dead [[salmon]] upon their heads. It was first observed in 1987 with [[southern resident orcas]] and was a relatively short-lived phenomenon.{{cite news |last1=Felton |first1=James |title=In 1987, Orcas Had A Fashion Of Wearing A Dead Salmon As A Hat |url=https://www.iflscience.com/in-1987-orcas-had-a-fashion-of-wearing-a-dead-salmon-as-a-hat-69542 |work=IFLScience |date=27 June 2023 |language=en |access-date=5 January 2025 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708233633/https://www.iflscience.com/in-1987-orcas-had-a-fashion-of-wearing-a-dead-salmon-as-a-hat-69542 |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Whitehead |first1=Hal |last2=Rendell |first2=Luke |last3=Osborne |first3=Richard W |last4=Würsig |first4=Bernd |title=Culture and conservation of non-humans with reference to whales and dolphins: review and new directions |journal=Biological Conservation |date=December 2004 |volume=120 |issue=3 |pages=427–437 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2004.03.017|bibcode=2004BCons.120..427W }} In 2024, the behaviour was observed again with orcas in [[Puget Sound]]. The motivations for salmon hats are unclear, but other orcas will mimic the behaviour once it begins. One hypothesis is that orcas wear salmon hats to display high food availability, or that the same individuals that originally started the trend revitalized it.{{cite web |last1=Pare |first1=Sascha |title=Orcas start wearing dead salmon hats again after ditching the trend for 37 years |url=https://www.livescience.com/animals/orcas/orcas-start-wearing-dead-salmon-hats-again-after-ditching-the-trend-for-37-years |website=Live Science |access-date=5 January 2025}} It may also indicate [[playfulness]].{{cite web |last1=Vikander |first1=Tessa |title=Why orcas wear dead salmon as 'hats' remains a mystery, scientists say |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/orca-dead-salmon-hat-1.7397920 |website=CBC News |access-date=5 January 2025}}
A '''salmon hat''' is a cultural [[fad]] displayed by [[orca]]s, in which they wear dead [[salmon]] upon their heads. It was first observed in 1987 with [[southern resident orcas]] and was a relatively short-lived phenomenon.{{cite news |last1=Felton |first1=James |title=In 1987, Orcas Had A Fashion Of Wearing A Dead Salmon As A Hat |url=https://www.iflscience.com/in-1987-orcas-had-a-fashion-of-wearing-a-dead-salmon-as-a-hat-69542 |work=IFLScience |date=27 June 2023 |language=en |access-date=5 January 2025 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708233633/https://www.iflscience.com/in-1987-orcas-had-a-fashion-of-wearing-a-dead-salmon-as-a-hat-69542 |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Whitehead |first1=Hal |last2=Rendell |first2=Luke |last3=Osborne |first3=Richard W |last4=Würsig |first4=Bernd |title=Culture and conservation of non-humans with reference to whales and dolphins: review and new directions |journal=Biological Conservation |date=December 2004 |volume=120 |issue=3 |pages=427–437 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2004.03.017|bibcode=2004BCons.120..427W }} In 2024, the behaviour was observed again with orcas in [[Puget Sound]]. The motivations for salmon hats are unclear, but other orcas will mimic the behaviour once it begins. One hypothesis is that orcas wear salmon hats to display high food availability, or that the same individuals that originally started the trend revitalized it.{{cite web |last1=Pare |first1=Sascha |title=Orcas start wearing dead salmon hats again after ditching the trend for 37 years |url=https://www.livescience.com/animals/orcas/orcas-start-wearing-dead-salmon-hats-again-after-ditching-the-trend-for-37-years |website=Live Science |access-date=5 January 2025}} It may also indicate [[playfulness]].{{cite web |last1=Vikander |first1=Tessa |title=Why orcas wear dead salmon as 'hats' remains a mystery, scientists say |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/orca-dead-salmon-hat-1.7397920 |website=CBC News |access-date=5 January 2025}}

Other cultural fads that have been seen in orcas include "kelping", where orcas use small sections of sea [[kelp]] to groom each other, the first documented instance of this behaviour outside of [[Primate|primates]]. It has been suggested this may be to remove [[Whale louse|parasites]] or dead skin.{{Cite journal |last=Weiss |first=Michael N. |last2=John |first2=Rachel E. |last3=Caro-Ruiz |first3=Alondra M. |last4=Ellifrit |first4=David K. |last5=Grimes |first5=Charli A. |last6=Redmond |first6=Taylor A. |last7=Vargas |first7=Arlene A. |last8=Croft |first8=Darren P. |date=2025-06-23 |title=Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales |url=https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(25)00450-6 |journal=Current Biology |language=English |volume=35 |issue=12 |pages=R599–R600 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.021 |issn=0960-9822 |pmid=40555181}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
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== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}{{Cite journal |last=Weiss |first=Michael N. |last2=John |first2=Rachel E. |last3=Caro-Ruiz |first3=Alondra M. |last4=Ellifrit |first4=David K. |last5=Grimes |first5=Charli A. |last6=Redmond |first6=Taylor A. |last7=Vargas |first7=Arlene A. |last8=Croft |first8=Darren P. |date=2025-06-23 |title=Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales |url=https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(25)00450-6 |journal=Current Biology |language=English |volume=35 |issue=12 |pages=R599–R600 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.021 |issn=0960-9822 |pmid=40555181}}

[[Category:Mammal behavior]]
[[Category:Mammal behavior]]
[[Category:Puget Sound]]
[[Category:Puget Sound]]
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