Thursday, December 9, 2010

Spawning salmon

A wild Oregon coast coho salmon swims upstream while spawning in a creek near Glide, Ore., on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010.   The salmon, which are near death after their journey to the small creek from the Pacific Ocean, will spawn and die.
I don't have an underwater camera, so I used a submerged aquarium to get this shot. The water was a bit cloudy, so I didn't get many usable photos under water.
 I met a fisheries biologist a few days ago who told me about the spawning coho salmon.   Some of the fish were very near death but their spawning instinct was still strong.

A salmon sends up a rooster tail as it heads upstream.
With shredded fins and near death, a salmon rests in a shallow area of the creek. 


2 comments:

  1. They are so amazing. You got some great pictures of their struggle. Griff watched one today in the creek in our backyard.

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  2. I love these photographs. You have captured some of the essence of the salmon, their own passion for this incredible journey. And the pathos of the end....
    We are consoled in the knowledge their offspring will emerge in the spring and the cycle begin once more. Long may these noble creatures live!

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