With the autumn season comes many things: colourful leaves, lots of rain, and the annual salmon run!
Generally occurring between mid-late October to the end of November, it’s where thousands of salmon make their way through Goldstream Park’s spawning stream to complete their life cycle.
Chum salmon are what Goldstream is specifically known for, as they’re the most abundant in comparison to Coho and Chinook salmon.
Scientists are still investigating and studying how salmon are able to return to the place they were born to complete their life cycle.
The South Island Goldstream Nature House claims that biologists believe that salmon use their sense of smell, vision and memory to navigate and have a small piece of magnetite embedded in their heads that acts as a compass.
They are also believed to use the sun, moon and stars for navigation—like little expert adventurers!
Once the salmon find their way back to the river they were born in, they can spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks at the mouth of the river, which is called the estuary.
The saltwater fish then go through some amazing physiological changes needed to survive the freshwater spawning grounds—hence why you see both sexes change colour entirely, and why the male salmon grow their iconic hooked jaw.
Once the females have found a suitable gravel spot to lay their eggs, she’ll start using her tail to shape herself a ‘redd’ or nest. A dominant male will stand guard nearby, fighting with competing males to be the one to fertilize the eggs with a shower of ‘milt’.
Standing apart from the Chum salmon’s Coho and Chinook neighbours, there will be two or more males waiting to fertilize her eggs and will do so simultaneously, rather than just one dominant male standing by.
Once the deed is done, the female will cover her eggs and move upstream to make another nest and complete the process again.
The females typically die quickly after laying their first eggs, while the males will live as long as they can continue to compete with other males to fertilize.
By early December, the spawning will be complete and the smell of dead salmon will echo through the forest of Goldstream Park as a reminder of the event.
As for the newly fertilized eggs, they will remain in the river until early March when the hatching begins.
They recommend visitors follow these tips and tricks for visiting the park during the salmon run:
- Try not to wear red, purple, pink or other bright colours that might confuse the salmon
- Carpool if possible as the park has limited parking
- You may find yourself staring at the water for a while, if it’s sunny out polarized sunglasses will help you see what’s happening in the water beneath the sun’s glare
- Polarized camera lenses will help photographers avoid the glare too
- Stay on the trails and try to find a high vantage point to see the action. Kids see best from sitting on top of an adult’s shoulders
- Avoid moving quickly and approach the river quietly from designated areas
- Do not bring dogs. If you must, keep it on leash and away from the river
- Bring binoculars to see the fish better, observe bald eagles and other birds in the area
The Nature House encourages Greater Victoria residents and visitors alike to come and see the annual salmon run for themselves!
They have salmon-specific program options available if you’re hoping for a guided tour and information session with experts at the Nature House.
