Salmon Spawning IV

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Psalm 40:5

Photographing fish has been a challenge – especially when I’m trying to take the picture with one hand whilst attempting to get them into position with the other.

In the past I’ve taken some photos of a school of these salmon as they are swimming over their spawning beds in the shallows of the river. This year I thought I’d post a close-up to give you a bit more detail of their coloration.

Above is a picture of a male kokanee salmon. Kokanee are the smaller cousin of the sockeye salmon. The sockeye migrate to the ocean, where there is more food, and thus they grow to a larger size. The kokanee are land-locked, meaning they have no access to salt water due to some barrier in migration. So they usually live in large lakes or reservoirs for a few years, then migrate up the feeder streams to spawn in the fall.

Note the enlarged hump on the back and the slightly hooked jaw. One characteristic (among many) of these remarkable fish which amazes me is that these physical changes in appearance happens very quickly, in just a matter of a days. Before that, both the male and female look very much alike. During the summer they are silver without the orange and green spawning colors.

When I observe the kokanee spawning, I almost always have my fly rod in hand. Yet I will often stop and watch for long periods of time without ever making a cast. Just to stand in awe of my Creator and His ways, which are beyond anything I could imagine, is far more than I deserve to be a part of. Seeing hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of these florescent-orange fish swimming about, often in water less than knee deep, is an extraordinary experience for me. It is most humbling to know this entire scene and life-cycle will continue on whether I’m there to see it or not. Just a small glimpse into a creation that is way bigger than any human could ever duplicate or even think of in the first place.

What an amazing God. I feel so privileged that He allows me a chance to observe a bit of this yearly event. And I’m grateful I get to share some of it with you.

Hope you have a great day.