OUR TRAVELS: A VITAL CONNECTION

For these avid photographers, salmon, birds and bears make up ‘B.C.’S triad’

This father and son enjoy photographing the salmon, birds and bears that make up “B.C.’S triad.”

Autumn in Canada is a beautiful season. The days are still warm, the leaves are changing colours, and the bugs are not a problem. Whether it’s a day outing or longer, it can be an amazing time for camping, hiking, wildlife viewing and especially photography. Here in British Columbia, I enjoy capturing shots of salmon, birds and bears—what I like to call the B.C. triad.

In B.C., most communities experience a salmon run, and the fall runs are frequently the largest. The Adams River sockeye run is world famous, and every fourth year is considered to be a dominant year, with numbers often in the millions. Next year (2022) should be a large run, but even small, non-dominant runs can be worth a visit. Smaller runs o er opportunities for viewing in small creeks, provincial parks and large rivers. Essentially, the salmon start from the ocean to return to the location of their birth where they spawn and die. The five species of salmon that thrive in B.C. include chinook, coho, chum, sockeye and pink.

Kokanee are landlocked salmon that spawn in the fall. Unlike regular sockeye salmon, they spend their entire lives in fresh water, and are smaller than sockeye, but bear a strong resemblance because of their colour (green and red), and the males have the same distinct hooked nose.

There are many great places to watch for salmon spawning, mainly in October

Clockwise from above: Grizzly feeding on pink salmon on the Atnarko River; bald eagle with its catch, a chinook from the South Thompson River; an Adam’s River sockeye; Jamie navigating the South Thompson River.