Press "Enter" to skip to content

Millions of Salmon Return Home | National Geographic


people come literally from all over the

people come literally from all over the world to be witness to this event of

world to be witness to this event of

world to be witness to this event of incredible odds you know each female

incredible odds you know each female

incredible odds you know each female brings four thousand eggs here from the

brings four thousand eggs here from the

brings four thousand eggs here from the ocean and deposits them here in the

ocean and deposits them here in the

ocean and deposits them here in the system and yet four years later we’re

system and yet four years later we’re

system and yet four years later we’re lucky if we get two of those back is as

lucky if we get two of those back is as

lucky if we get two of those back is as adults and it’s this incredible struggle

adults and it’s this incredible struggle

adults and it’s this incredible struggle between life and death every single day

every four years these amazing animals

every four years these amazing animals have returned to their birthplace many

have returned to their birthplace many

have returned to their birthplace many cases within meters where they were born

cases within meters where they were born

cases within meters where they were born but you know it’s sort of the end in the

but you know it’s sort of the end in the

but you know it’s sort of the end in the beginning all the same time

beginning all the same time

beginning all the same time the death of the salmon is the birth of

the death of the salmon is the birth of

the death of the salmon is the birth of the child and the birth of the child you

the child and the birth of the child you

the child and the birth of the child you know is dependent upon the death of the

know is dependent upon the death of the

know is dependent upon the death of the adult before them they never meet

adult before them they never meet

adult before them they never meet they never connect like so many other

they never connect like so many other

they never connect like so many other animals do and so I think that when

animals do and so I think that when

animals do and so I think that when people come here they come here to

people come here they come here to

people come here they come here to witness that that moment of transition

witness that that moment of transition

witness that that moment of transition and it’s a very powerful and poignant

and it’s a very powerful and poignant

and it’s a very powerful and poignant story for people it’s really you know it

story for people it’s really you know it

story for people it’s really you know it sounds like a cliche but really is a

sounds like a cliche but really is a

sounds like a cliche but really is a miracle that they make it and

miracle that they make it and

miracle that they make it and four out of four thousand or something

four out of four thousand or something

four out of four thousand or something actually make it back is pretty

actually make it back is pretty

actually make it back is pretty spectacular

when they go out to the ocean they go a

when they go out to the ocean they go a long ways these fish that are spawned up

long ways these fish that are spawned up

long ways these fish that are spawned up and you know near the near the Rocky

and you know near the near the Rocky

and you know near the near the Rocky Mountains up in the upper Fraser will go

Mountains up in the upper Fraser will go

Mountains up in the upper Fraser will go you know several hundred kilometers over

you know several hundred kilometers over

you know several hundred kilometers over a thousand kilometers out to the mouth

a thousand kilometers out to the mouth

a thousand kilometers out to the mouth of the Fraser then up along the coast up

of the Fraser then up along the coast up

of the Fraser then up along the coast up into the Gulf of Alaska so they’re

into the Gulf of Alaska so they’re

into the Gulf of Alaska so they’re traveling several thousand kilometers in

traveling several thousand kilometers in

traveling several thousand kilometers in their lives and then they come back and

their lives and then they come back and

their lives and then they come back and so it’s a it’s a massive migration every

so it’s a it’s a massive migration every

so it’s a it’s a massive migration every four years there’s this massive

four years there’s this massive

four years there’s this massive population here which is what we’re in

population here which is what we’re in

population here which is what we’re in now and then there’s a shadow year about

now and then there’s a shadow year about

now and then there’s a shadow year about half as many is called a sub dominant

half as many is called a sub dominant

half as many is called a sub dominant run and there’s two years of really

run and there’s two years of really

run and there’s two years of really relative quiet but generally speaking

relative quiet but generally speaking

relative quiet but generally speaking it’s evolved beyond this four year cycle

so 2009 we’ve got a lot of attention

so 2009 we’ve got a lot of attention because we had unexpectedly low returns

because we had unexpectedly low returns

because we had unexpectedly low returns the total run size that year was about

the total run size that year was about

the total run size that year was about 1.5 million sockeye coming back to the

1.5 million sockeye coming back to the

1.5 million sockeye coming back to the Fraser four years previous to that we

Fraser four years previous to that we

Fraser four years previous to that we had in the order seven million so that

had in the order seven million so that

had in the order seven million so that was a significant decline and raised

was a significant decline and raised

was a significant decline and raised concerns where we’re at today obviously

concerns where we’re at today obviously

concerns where we’re at today obviously looking at about nineteen point six or

looking at about nineteen point six or

looking at about nineteen point six or nineteen point eight million coming back

nineteen point eight million coming back

nineteen point eight million coming back to the Fraser and I would say things

to the Fraser and I would say things

to the Fraser and I would say things perhaps looking a little better for

perhaps looking a little better for

perhaps looking a little better for placer sockeye than people feared back

placer sockeye than people feared back

placer sockeye than people feared back in 2009 their mother we used to see

in 2009 their mother we used to see

in 2009 their mother we used to see returns like this on a regular basis

returns like this on a regular basis

returns like this on a regular basis over a hundred years ago one thing that

over a hundred years ago one thing that

over a hundred years ago one thing that we do know about Fraser Sakai’s they’re

we do know about Fraser Sakai’s they’re

we do know about Fraser Sakai’s they’re being increasingly affected by climate

being increasingly affected by climate

being increasingly affected by climate change we have in the Fraser River

change we have in the Fraser River

change we have in the Fraser River increasing high water temperatures in

increasing high water temperatures in

increasing high water temperatures in the summer and we have number of weeks

the summer and we have number of weeks

the summer and we have number of weeks now in the in a lot of summers where the

now in the in a lot of summers where the

now in the in a lot of summers where the water temperatures reach a lethal

water temperatures reach a lethal

water temperatures reach a lethal threshold for salmon and that’s going to

threshold for salmon and that’s going to

threshold for salmon and that’s going to increase as as the climate warms and as

increase as as the climate warms and as

increase as as the climate warms and as the river system increasingly changes as

the river system increasingly changes as

the river system increasingly changes as a result of that

we have this abundant planet that we all

we have this abundant planet that we all share and when you look at the cosmos

share and when you look at the cosmos

share and when you look at the cosmos and the universe is around us it’s an

and the universe is around us it’s an

and the universe is around us it’s an anomaly it’s it’s it’s something so

anomaly it’s it’s it’s something so

anomaly it’s it’s it’s something so unique that has come together from so

unique that has come together from so

unique that has come together from so many thousands of potential disastrous

many thousands of potential disastrous

many thousands of potential disastrous conditions and we have a responsibility

conditions and we have a responsibility

conditions and we have a responsibility to care for it we have a responsibility

to care for it we have a responsibility

to care for it we have a responsibility to be a part of it and we have a

to be a part of it and we have a

to be a part of it and we have a responsibility to embrace what it

responsibility to embrace what it

responsibility to embrace what it teaches us and I think when we do that

teaches us and I think when we do that

teaches us and I think when we do that then we become part of the planet we

then we become part of the planet we

then we become part of the planet we manage

”

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *