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.

Hatful of Sorrow You've probably heard all about orcas' daring feats, like sinking yachts. But are you aware that they can be quite dashing, too? Yep. It appears that these snazzy cetaceans are fond of wearing "hats" in the form of dead salmon on their snouts,

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.

The J-, K- and L-pods are down to just 73 orcas, according to the latest census completed in July by the Center for Whale Research, based in Friday Harbor, Washington. Two adult males were lost and a male calf that was born and counted in the census period subsequently died.

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.

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

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.