Salmon

Down on the coast, its Salmon season and there were a few salmon in a stream that I went past.

There are about five different species of Salmon along the NW coast here. These are called "Red" salmon which are Sockeye...

Others are Coho (also called Silver), Chinook (also called King), Pink (also called Humpy), and Chum (also called Dog).
: Thanks to my avid fishing friend Rick for the details there :)

They are amazing things. They look like normal (large) fish in the ocean, but as soon as they hit fresh water and head up stream to mate, their whole physiology changes...

Their body colour goes from silver to red and their heads turn green. The males develop a real hump-back, and both the males and females mouths get really "hook" shaped jaws.

The sudden and ultimately terminal changes also effect the meat... If you catch them in the ocean or within a day or so of hitting fresh water, they are great for eating, but after that its not worth it.

By the time they get further up stream and mate, the flesh is litterally falling off them and rotting while they are still swimming!

These guys were quite a way up-stream and were near their spawning pools. They were not too active and were just "hanging out" in pools just below a small waterfall. Im hopoing to see some more later on the trip that are actively jumping up the waterfalls :)

All for the priviledge of reproducing !

Im not sure its worth it, but then again the salmon dont have to put up with their offspring living with them for the next twenty years! :))