Monday December 2, 2024
Vancouver Sun —
Southern resident killer whales always look sharp in their smooth black-and-white body suits, but now they have a new accessory.
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Dead salmon hats.
Researchers in Washington have noticed at least one orca balancing salmon on its head in Puget Sound this fall, taking the dead fish for a ride and possibly snacking on the salmon at its leisure.
Sporting salmon-corpse lids isn’t exactly new behaviour for the southern residents. The phenomenon was first noticed in 1987, when for that one year, a female from K-pod started wearing a salmon on her head.
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Within a few weeks, the other endangered pods, J and L, decided to try the fish-hats on as well.
Last month, J27 Blackberry, a 32-year-old male, was photographed exhibiting the same behaviour at Point No Point, Washington, off Whidbey Island in Puget Sound.