Orcas off the coast of Washington State are balancing dead fish on their heads like it's the 1980s, but researchers still aren't sure why they do it.

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.

In the cold waters of Puget Sound, Washington, a peculiar fashion statement has resurfaced after nearly four decades. Orcas, the ocean’s charismatic black-and-white predators, are donning “salmon hats” again—balancing dead fish on their heads as they swim.

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

A s anyone who follows fashion knows, certain trends like indie sleaze and cargo pants can come back around after a long and quite deserved break. Orcas, it seems, are not immune. After a 37-year break, killer whales have once again been spotted wearing dead salmon on their head.

Southern resident killer whales always look sharp in their smooth black-and-white body suits, but now they have a new accessory. Dead salmon hats. Researchers in Washington have noticed at least one orca balancing salmon on its head in Puget Sound this fall,