![\"Young](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/young-male-orca-known-as-alder-with-a-dead-salmon-on-his-head.jpg\"\/)
Drone footage from a 2019 research survey shows a young male orca known as A99 \u201cAlder\u201d with a dead salmon on his head. A recent sighting of another salmon-wearing orca also sparked excitement. Credit:\u00a0Ocean Wise (DFO Marine Mammal License, MML18)<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have not been any more recent images of these orcas wearing salmon hats,\u201d said Raymond, according to CNN<\/a>. \u201cThere is no shortage of eyes on the water and cameras capturing their visit, in addition to permitted research vessels carefully observing them.\u201d She added that if the trend were returning more broadly, \u201cthere would be ample documentation of that.\u201d<\/p>\n A second incident was described by Dr Deborah Giles, science and research director at Wild Orca<\/a>, during a field research trip. As her team monitored the water using a detection dog to collect floating faecal samples, a member of the group noticed an orca momentarily surfacing with a fish balanced on its head. The individual could not be confirmed before the whale submerged again.<\/p>\n \u201cI had enough time to shout to the front of the boat and say \u2018hey, there\u2019s a fish on the head behind me!\u2019\u201d Dr Giles recalled in the Earth.com report.<\/p>\n Interpretation Remains Inconclusive<\/p>\n The meaning behind the salmon-on-head behaviour remains unclear. Experts tracking orca behaviour say this action has not been documented across other killer whale ecotypes<\/a>, such as Transients or Offshores, in the eastern North Pacific.<\/p>\n The Southern Residents are one of several distinct killer whale populations described in detail by NOAA Fisheries<\/a>. They are known for strong matrilineal group structures, exclusive reliance on Chinook salmon, and unique acoustic dialects used for group communication and identity.<\/p>\n Howard Garrett, co-founder of Orca Network and a long-time researcher profiled in Read the Dirt<\/a>, called the image of J27 \u201ca standout photograph\u201d and \u201ca lucky shot.\u201d His work has focused on documenting orca culture and regional conservation since the early 1980s.<\/p>\n Theories around this behaviour have included explanations related to social bonding or surplus prey availability. Some researchers, including those at Earth.com<\/a>, have suggested it may occur when prey is abundant enough to allow non-functional actions such as play or experimentation.<\/p>\n Still, there is no confirmed behavioural function, and no consistent recurrence of this action has been seen in decades. Without further sightings, researchers say the phenomenon cannot yet be classified as cultural, social, or behavioural in nature.<\/p>\n Context and Conservation Outlook<\/p>\n The Southern Resident killer whale population has experienced a long-term decline, shaped by ecosystem disruption, prey depletion, and historical live captures for aquariums. NOAA Fisheries data shows the group decreased from an estimated 140 individuals in the mid-20th century to 71 in 1974. Although the number rose briefly in the 1990s, the 2020 census recorded only 72 whales.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a-whale-was-spotted-in-puget-sound-near-point-no-point-on-oct-25.jpg\"\/)
A whale was spotted in Puget Sound near Point No Point, carrying a dead salmon on its head. The image has researchers scratching their heads as to why the whale was doing it.\u00a0Credit: Jim Pasola\/Orca Network<\/p>\n