The Snark | The Orca Fashion Trend We Didn’t Know We Needed (But Kind of Do)

If you’ve ever felt like your life needed more absurdity - and really, who hasn’t? - you’re in for a treat. Recently, the animal kingdom has given us the salmon hat trend - yes, you read that right. Orcas, the majestic, intelligent predators of the sea, have decided to take fashion advice from a rotting fish carcass. Not just any fish, mind you - a dead salmon. These orcas have been spotted wearing their new accessories on their heads, like some kind of marine animal version of Paris Fashion Week.

Now, let’s pause for a moment to appreciate the sheer weirdness of this. Orcas aren’t exactly known for their fashion sense (unless you count killing as a fashion statement, but we digress). No, apparently these clever creatures, masters of hunting and communication, have decided that they need a little extra flair. And that flair? A fresh, dead salmon. If you’ve ever wanted proof that life has no rules and nature does its own thing, here it is.

Orcas, the Trendsetters of the Sea

In case you missed it, a female orca from Puget Sound started this trend in 1987. The orca, dubbed J27 “Blackberry,” was spotted with a dead salmon placed carefully on her head. What was once a single instance of pure absurdity quickly became an orca social movement. Other orcas jumped on the bandwagon, sporting their own dead-salmon headgear, and thus, the world was introduced to a new fashion statement. And like all fleeting trends, the salmon hats disappeared by 1988, leaving us to wonder: What on earth possessed these animals to wear decaying fish on their heads?

Fast-forward 37 years, and the salmon hat phenomenon is back. Orcas, being the trend-followers they are (hey, they’re no different than humans), have decided to revisit this unique headgear. And, of course, humans have taken notice. Because what’s more important than orca fashion, right? Are we all just waiting for the inevitable Instagram influencer post: “Orca spotted in Puget Sound rocking the latest salmon hat look. #FishyVibes #TooCoolForSchool”?

It’s hard not to love this. It’s so chaotic. It’s so unpredictable. It’s like when we humans wear ridiculous fashion trends - we decide they’re a thing and suddenly, everyone needs to try it. And if you’re wondering how orcas made this transition from hunting beasts to fashion icons, the answer is simple: social learning. Orcas - just like us - copy each other. And when one orca starts something, the rest follow suit. What starts as a quirky individual behavior becomes an entire trend.

Copycatism: Humans and Orcas Have More in Common Than We Thought

So, orcas are wearing dead fish on their heads. What can fiction writers possibly learn from this? Well, for starters, we all love a bit of copying. It’s not just orcas who engage in social learning - we humans are masters of the craft. If something works for one person, it must work for everyone, right? That’s how trends spread, from fashion to bad habits.

Let’s take a look at a few examples. Lotus feet, anyone? Or how about “the corset” - something that women suffered in the name of beauty for centuries? These practices weren’t born out of any deep need or necessity; they spread because people looked around and thought, “Hey, if everyone else is doing it, it must be the thing to do.” And let’s not even get started on fanny packs - the fashion mistake of the century that has somehow found a second life in the era of TikTok. Thanks, social media.

We’re basically just like orcas in this respect. The only difference is, our fashion choices tend to be more publicly accepted (usually), whereas orcas are all about the subtlety of underwater trends. But really, what is social media but a giant school of orcas, all copying each other’s behavior? "Hey, they wore a salmon hat; I’ll wear one too!" The copying never stops.

The Strangeness of the World and How to Write It

So, what should writers take away from this fishy fashion statement? First, stay alive to the strangeness of the world around you. If orcas can wear salmon on their heads, then humans can certainly find ways to make completely irrational decisions, from fashion to politics. The world is full of strange behavior, and as a writer, your job is to observe that weirdness and write about it. Orcas are leading the way, folks. Maybe next, they’ll start wearing seaweed boas or coral jewelry.

Second, remember that social learning isn’t just for orcas. It’s for us too. The next time you’re writing a character who blindly follows a trend, think of that orca with the salmon on its head. Maybe they’re not as deep as they think they are - maybe they’re just a copycat.

And finally, embrace the weirdness in your writing. Life isn’t always about neatly wrapped-up plots or logical character arcs. Sometimes, it’s about embracing the chaos - the fish-headed orcas of the world - and letting it drive the narrative. Your readers will thank you for it. They might even want to join in on the salmon hat trend.

Closing Thoughts from The Snark

Here’s the thing: life is messy. Heck, everything is messy. And if you’re a writer, your characters should be messy too. Orcas wearing dead fish on their heads? Totally irrational. But that’s what makes it interesting. The world doesn’t always make sense, so don’t expect your writing to either. Sure, your characters might not wear fish on their heads (though, who knows?), but they can definitely embrace the strange, unpredictable elements of life. And hey, maybe they’ll make a trend out of it.

The Snark