The exciting journey of the red salmon

Salmon Run at Shuswap Lake

Together with a handful of like-minded people, I set off for British Columbia. Via Vancouver we travel to Shuswap Lake to wait for the red salmon for a fortnight. These fascinating animals migrate up the Fraser and Thompson Rivers at the end of their lives to spawn in the headwaters. In Kamloops, the Thomson River splits and becomes the North and South Thomson River. Here the salmon have to decide whether they want to travel upstream to their birthplace or to a new place ...

Report by Gerald Nowak

The result is clear: a good 99 % decide in favour of the natal river and move up the South Thomson River to Shuswap Lake. Shuswap Lake has a very special shape and consists of four arms, which resemble the shape of the letter H. These four arms are called Seymour Arm (north), Anstey Arm (north-east), Salmon Arm (south-west) and the main lake (west). Shuswap Lake is connected to Little Shuswap Lake by the Little River, which drains from the end of the West Arm, the point where the salmon enter Big Shuswap Lake.

To the northwest, the Adams River flows towards the main lake. The salmon use this place to catch their breath. It takes a few days for them to recover from the journey so far, to reach the right water temperature in the Adams River and for their inner clock to call for a final sprint. It takes the last of their strength to swim up the many small rapids of the river to their birthplace, which will also be the place for the only sex in their lives. The females choose the spawning sites very specifically in the shallow tributaries and there in small depressions of the river. This is where they were born and this is where they will die.

A good forecast

The numbers of migrating animals vary greatly from year to year, and only every four years is there a particularly intense "salmon run". This year it is happening again. The forecast is for seven to 14 million fish.

The Canadian autumn is often wet and rainy, but we are incredibly lucky. Only on the day of arrival is it a little overcast. Already in the afternoon of the second day, the curtain of clouds rips open and the sun comes out. Even though the beautiful weather flatters the soul, it is far too warm this year: the salmon, who like it a little cooler, are still very restrained. They are waiting before they head for the last phase... Actually, it should already be frosty at night at this time of year. But we are far from that. During the day it is over 20 degrees and at night the thermometer does not drop below 10 degrees. Although there are already a few animals in the river, we are still a long way from the huge number of salmon we had hoped for. We don't want to let it get us down and change places every day to give everyone in the group a chance to get some great photos in excellent conditions.

Dives in the lake are also on the programme, but unfortunately the last winter storm has dramatically changed the course of the river: Instead of flowing straight into the lake, the Adams River has decided to flow into the lake directly along the shore. This means that we always have to cross the river if we want to photograph the salmon waiting there in the lake in the backwaters of the estuary. The visibility is not particularly good due to the changes, but the shoals are enormous at this point. All in all, a super spot once you've managed to cross the river through the strong current. If you position yourself calmly here and hold your breath for long seconds, you will be able to experience the salmon at close quarters. A quick movement or a single exhalation is enough to drive them away.

A different kind of dry diving

Taking pictures in the river is completely different. Here the term "dry diving" takes on a whole new meaning. We are far from diving here, because although you are wearing a dry suit, you are only equipped with a mask and snorkel. We lie in the gravel and only our head and camera are in the water. The aim is to photograph the fish spawning in the shallow tributaries of the river. A split image would be ideal. If you manage it, you still catch the movement of the water. A nice photographic challenge.

It is really exciting to observe how the salmon defend their "place" in the river. The females bite their rivals with all their might. But the males also fight like hell. As they have migrated up the river, their appearance has changed dramatically. The “bluebacks” become “reds.” This is evidence of the imminent end of their lives. The lower jaw has also bent upwards and huge teeth have emerged. Many a mate already has clearly visible wounds from the fierce battles for the females.

The cycle of life

Three to five times a female builds new spawning pits during the spawning season, which lasts for days, and then lays several hundred eggs - up to three thousand per animal. The males, weighing up to 7 kilos, then try to spread their sperm over them. The eggs remain in the gravel for several weeks before the tiny young salmon hatch. These drift down with the current into Shuswap Lake. On average, the young fish spend two to three years in the lake until they are big enough to swim over a thousand kilometres to Vancouver Bay. Once in the sea, they begin a journey that usually lasts four years and takes them first to the northern Arctic Ocean and later back to their source. The cycle of life ends with spawning in the Adams River.

Not all salmon's stay in the sea is four years long. There are some specimens that are back after only three years, while others need five years. What exactly is the reason for this variation has not yet been researched. However, the time of spawning is always in October, usually around the middle of the month. A few salmon never migrate to the sea, they spend their entire lives in the lake. The indigenous people of Canada, the First Nations, call these special fish "kokanee".

We spent the two very intense weeks with the life and death of the salmon and learned a lot about their importance for the whole region. Without the salmon, things would look completely different here. The animals carry important nutrients from the sea in their bodies, which after their death help to "revive" the entire nature along the rivers and lakes and benefit from the salmon's death. Hardly any other region has so many eagles, seabirds and land animals that feed on the carcasses of the fish. Only the shy black bears did not cross our lens. They avoid meeting people and are only out at night. Their scat is the only thing we have seen of them. Darryl, our local guide, shows us with a wave of his hand: "Bear poo, you can recognise it on the berrys".

If you want to experience this exciting adventure for yourself, you should make a note for the year 2026:
www.waterworld.at/specials/2026-expdition/salmon-run-iii-2026/

More information about the Salmon Run event at the lake:
www.shuswaptourism.ca/festivals-and-events/adams-river-sockeye-salmon-run/

Bauer Junior II in outdoor use at the "Salmon-Run"

The small Bauer "Junior II" is a perfect companion for on the road and a saviour in an emergency when there is no dive shop nearby. The small lightweight weighs only 44 kg, is super handy and quick to set up. With the optionally available transport cradle, it can be used anywhere. It can also be loaded quickly on its own and is easy to transport, even with a small vehicle. In practice, the perfect air guarantor in remote regions.

With its petrol engine, it is not quite as quiet as the electric version of the "Junior II", but can be used far from a power socket. It is important to choose the proper operating site and not to fill it directly at a lake or near recreational areas. A secluded gravel pit or an industrial area should be the perfect place to refill the scuba tanks. After all, you want to avoid attracting unpleasant attention and getting problems from the rattling of the compressor. If you choose the location for the compressor carefully, you can also refill your scuba tank easily when travelling.

I will continue to test the little Bauer in detail over the next few months and let you know what I think of the compressor, where I have used it everywhere and whether it is as flexible as it was for me in its first use here.

The technical data is already promising and I am looking forward to a varied, flexible use in different places.

JUNIOR II compressor, 90 - 330 bar, 100 l/min, high-pressure compressor for compressing air and breathing air: