Here is a shot of a male Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) taken in the fall in northern BC fighting its way upstream to spawn. The name ‘Sockeye’ is derived from the First Nations word ‘sukkai’ and further north in Alaska, they are known as ‘Red Salmon’. These salmon turn this beautiful scarlet red colour only when they return to their native freshwater creeks and rivers to spawn after at least 2 years at sea in the North Pacific Ocean. Here on the BC coast, the Fraser River is the largest and strongest sockeye salmon run, but there are many smaller runs, some of which, such as the Adams River, eventually flow in to the Fraser River, but are so far away you wouldn’t think it. The size of the sockeye runs usually come in four year cycles with good and bad years, depending on where they are in the cycle.
