Goldstream salmon run 2014

It was time for the annual migration of Pearson College Marine Science students to Goldstream again – the 3 first year classes went on Monday 3 November, Tuesday 4 November and Wednesday 5 November. We went to observe the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) spawning in the Goldstream River.

On Tuesday we watched a young aboriginal man scoop newly arrived chum salmon out of the river and pile them into a big grey bin.

My second year Biology students were so keen to see the spawning salmon that I also took them to Goldstream on Friday 14 November, when there were many more dead salmon. Sorry to say that I only have photos of the dead salmon, not of the Biology class!

Salmon watchers are particularly interested in this cohort of chum salmon as many of them would have been hatching from their eggs in April 2011 when there was a significant fuel spill into the Goldstream River.

Goldstream salmon run 2013

On Wednesday 6 November (A block) and Thursday 7 November (D block) first year Marine Science students had the opportunity to observe spawning chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) at Goldstream Provincial Park.

We saw many live salmon, swimming & spawning, and many dead & decaying salmon.

There were also many gulls watching this incredible event…

Some gulls were swimming along side the salmon…

and many gulls were diving for salmon eggs.

 A Block

 D Block

Thanks to Alfredo, Camille vG and Tyleisha for photos!

Goldstream estuary – April 2013

On Wednesday 10 April (F block) and on Friday 12 April (A block), second year Marine Science students visited the Goldstream estuary.  Closed to the public since 1994, the estuary is an incredible place to explore.

There are many Canada geese in the estuary these days and they do a great job of mowing down the vegetation.

Although we didn’t see any living salmon, the juveniles should have been in the Goldstream River (pictured above) and we saw lots of evidence of adult salmon:

On both days we were accompanied by a naturalist from the Park – Tracy is holding the salmon jaws and vertebra in the photo above and Bree is pictured below.

On Wednesday there was sunshine and blue sky – students were invited to take off their boots and walk barefoot through the mud.  Chris and Susanna accepted enthusiastically.

 Since Chris probably would have lost at least one boot in the mud any way it made good sense for him to remove his boots.

 Eliott has lost his flip-flops since our trip to East Sooke Park, so he came in boots but decided to keep them on!

 Chris managed to leave the estuary with both boots!!

 Susanna also walked barefoot through the mud and sincerely enjoyed it!

 And then she cleaned her feet in the river.

 We had to jump across a channel in the estuary – Karam does it with panache above.

 And Thea too!

 Jon, however, looks like he is going to fall backwards on his bum – he didn’t though!

Two last images to include from our trip to Goldstream – salmonberry blossoms:

And skunk cabbage: 

Goldstream salmon run 2012

Yesterday and today, first year marine scientists traveled to Goldstream Provincial Park to observe the spawning salmon.

It seems to be quite a good year for chum returns – lots of salmon! And lots of gulls feeding on dead salmon and on salmon eggs.

We also observed maggots amongst the gill filaments, under the operculum…

I had a significant realization while at Goldstream today… given that the average life span for chum salmon is four years, most of the salmon that are currently spawning at Goldstream would have come from the eggs and sperm spawned during the season when I took the very first cohort of Pearson College Marine Science students (Year 35) on this same field trip!

Full circle life cycle.