It is hard to imagine 36 million, but better still, try to envision a river, many miles long, totally red with spawning Sockeye Salmon.

It is not an exageration, the river is red with fish. Not only across the river, but sometimes 10 and 12 feet deep as well, for the breadth of the river.. It is impossible to describe, the river is full of fish, really full of fish, and they say there are another 3 million entering the system. Where are they going to go?

This year is a bonus. It is the greatest return of spawning Sockeye since 1913. No one, absolutely no one understands what has happened to create this massive return. Everyone is in shock, but as well, everyone is happy to have the Sockeye back in the rivers. Over the last 50 years, their numbers have steadily declined. The forecast was bleak. This is unexpected.

In this picture, you get some idea of the brilliant colouration of the fish in spawning colours. Just 2 months ago, these fish were chrome silver, and were swiming in the oceans, some up to 3 thousand miles away.

Then nature kicked in, and these fish were drawn by instinct to return to the rivers of their birth, to renew the cycle.