The end of spawning season
By graham ameron
5 May 2008
I learned that Salmon migrate thousands of miles before returning to their natal stream to find a mate, spawn and then die. I took these photos with my friend Jim who's visited this site several times before to document this yearly event.
We locate the fish first by smell, which is quite distinct. After exploring for a while, we finally find the bodies strewn haphazardly along the river's edge. The fish are in various forms of decay, lying in the water and on land. Some remain perfectly intact (dead from exhaustion perhaps), some appear mangled, pulled apart as if by animals. Some appear petrified, as if they have been here for hundreds of years. In some cases, only heads and tails remain suggesting their bodies have disappeared with fisherman (which is apparently illegal during this time).
These creatures have returned to the place from whence they came to help breed new life. Their lives have expired but, perhaps because of them, new lives will emerge to carry on the legacy. Maybe these offspring will find their way into future photographs, in this same exact place, during this same time of year – the end of spawning season.
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