SALMONS RUN - CANADA
MOREThe salmon run in British Columbia is one of the most breath-taking wildlife migrations in the world. Amazingly, Sockeye salmons cross hundreds of kilometres from the ocean, to swim side by side against the current of the rivers of British Columbia for other 400 km, until they find a spot to burrow out a hole to lay their eggs, which will be later fertilized by males, at their birthplace. Then they die in the ultimate sacrifice. Many don’t survive the gruelling journey, yet they can’t resist this call of nature.
2022 will be one of the “dominant” years of the Sockeye salmons’ spawning. Only in dominant years, which occur once in four years, you see the largest schools of millions of sockeyes. The last dominant year was 2018, and the next one is expected this year.
Sockeye are the second largest fish to spawn in the river. These fish will become bright red with green heads. They prefer to spawn in medium depth, swifter water, during the month of October.
The season of the Sockeye salmons spawning usual lasts just one month.
The new generation follows a four-year life cycle. They spend around one year in freshwater, and continue to the ocean. In their fourth year of life, those who lived through predators, fishing nets, and other hazards, set off on a spawning journey back to their spawning waters.
The salmon eggs will stay in the gravel in the bottom of the river for 90 to 150 days and salmon actually hatch mid-winter. The alevin (larval salmon) stays in the gravel for several more weeks, and then emerge into the stream as fry in April or May.
The group size is limited to max 5 participants plus the guides.
Classic Tour 2026
17 – 24 October
four spaces
ins and outs
Your journey
We will stay and soak in the very shallow waters of the rivers, trying to minimize our pressure on the salmons’ migration.
We will observe and document the spawning cycle, the fights of the males to fertilize the eggs.
We’ll move along the coasts looking for the better sites and snorkel in the lake, taking underwater pictures and recording videos.
Above water, we’ll take split pictures with the background of the autumn colours and sceneries of the nearby forests.
In details
Classic tour. 6 days, 6 nights :
* 5 full days at river, from morning to evening, depending on the actions and our souls ;
* 6 nights’ accommodation in cottales, double room with bathroom. One night in hotel ;
* board basis : 5 days full-board except drinks (cocked by tour-leader) ; 1 day bed & breakfast ;
* Daily group transfer from the cottages to the sites of shooting.
The group size is limited to max 5 participants plus the guides.
Is this trip right for you ?
You need to be very patient and keen on photography, aware that it will be a slow moving experience.
Able to bear low temperatures and hours of “soaking” in the waters of the river.
It works if you are quiet and used to live in nature; if you are not looking for chaos and entertainments and if you are not addicted on schedules, as the programme might change without prior warning in order to grasp the better opportunities to take pictures.