We just got back from a long weekend at our condo in Charlevoix. The weather was great even though the leaves were a little past their peak color but still beautiful to see.
One of the things that happen in October is that salmon return to the place where they were originally came from which is usually a fast flowing stream. I don’t know how they remember where they came from but they do.
The salmon gather in Lake Michigan at the mouth of the stream they will swim up. Yes, up which means against the current; this is fascinating to watch.
You can actually see them gathering at the mouth (in photo you can see spray). They do this in spurts of energy and then rest behind a rock or spots with weaker water flow. In some cases, they actually jump up over the steps in the river and some of these fish are huge.
When they get to their destination, they spawn (lay eggs) which are fertilized and develop into salmon. The spawning fish then dies and deteriorates very quickly and become food for the young who once strong enough, swim down the stream into Lake Michigan and enjoy life until Mother Nature calls them back to their origins to start the cycle over again.
In Charlevoix, the DNR actually diverts these fish into a holding tank where the fish are gathered and transported to a different spawning area. A DNR official once explained it to me that they are just making sure that the spawning occurs in areas that are more hospitable to the spawning salmon and the young, once hatched, will remember the new place as their home to return to and spawn.
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