In the 1980s, an orca on the West Coast of the United States started a strange trend that was quickly adopted not just by her pod, but by individuals from other pods, too: wearing dead salmon hats. And yes,

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

Deborah Giles told KUOW’s Kim Malcolm that while this "salmon hat" phenomenon is certainly noteworthy, it's likely not a hopeful sign of long-term recovery.

On October 25, a viral photo of a Southern Resident orca at Point No Point, Washington, was spotted with a salmon on its head — also known as a “salmon hat.” According to the Orca Network – a Washington nonprofit – the salmon hat phenomenon was first spotted in the late 80s among the endangered Southern Resident population.

An especially popular killer whale put a dead fish on his head, in a throwback to a fashion last seen in the 1980s.

The salmon hat craze was first observed in 1987 when a female orca in the Puget Sound area of the northeast Pacific was seen carrying a solitary dead fish on her nose. Within a few weeks the behavior was picked up by members of other pods, suggesting something about it must have appealed.

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.

Orcas have apparently taken a break from sinking luxury yachts so they can focus on themselves. The animals have brought back an old whale fashion trend that hasn’t been in style in nearly four decades.