Chinook Gives Its All (Including its Tail?)

One of the miraculous facets of a Pacific salmon’s life is its death. All Pacific salmon die after they spawn. In doing so, they enrich their home stream with their harvest of years of nutrition on the high seas. This chinook will feed the local ecosystem, and perhaps even its progeny when they emerge from the gravel in 4 months time. 

Betcha Didn’t Know This:
The sharp-eyed among you may note that this chinook’s tail has been cut off. This indicates that a Fisheries Biologist has sampled, measured and counted this fish. Severing the tail ensures that this fish is not counted more than once.

Did you know that ducks are not vegetarians? This photo of mallards feasting on a dead salmon was also taken today on Issaquah Creek.