Salmon run

While Megan was at a friend's birthday party this afternoon, the rest of us headed out to Goldstream Provincial Park to see the salmon run. It seemed like half of Victoria was taking advantage of the break in the November rains today to get out of doors because the parking lot was overflowing.

The fast-running river right now is choked with salmon, struggling against the flow, spawning, and dying. The fish spend most of their time hugging the bottom. They're difficult to see past the surface of the water and they blend in with the pebbles of the river bed, but the water is shallow and there's a good trail right alongside the bank so we can get right up close.



All those dark grey and pale silvery blobs in the water are salmon. And occasionally one of them makes a move. Here Matthew was startled by sudden splashing nearby.