Adam’s River, near where we live, is home to one of the world’s largest Sockeye runs.
In the beginning the Sockeye swims hundreds of miles to a spend a lifetime at sea, then miraculously returns to its ancestral waters. They swim up the Fraser and the South Thompson rivers, through Shuswap Lake and into Adam’s River.
When they return in the fall couples pair up and the female lays about 4,000 eggs in the shallow gravel beds of the river.
The parents fend off competitors and the female remains by her eggs for as long as possible to protect them before she dies.
The young spend at least a year in Shuswap Lake growing in strength and size. When they’re 3 – 4 inches they make the journey to the ocean. In about four years they return to the river to complete the cycle and give life to a new generation.
Find out more about the Salmon Run at Adam’s River Salmon Society
