Adams River Sockeye Salmon Run October 2010

I spent this past weekend up at Adams River, BC. with Kathryn and Alex.  This year's salmon run is the dominant year of the sockeye's four-year cycle; with an unexpected 34 million sockeye returning to the Fraser River watershed this year, the biggest run since 1913!  By comparison, an estimated 1.5 million returned to spawn in 2006 and 3.7 million in 2002. 

On Saturday, October 16, we spent about four hours in the river with fellow photographers Stewart Sy and Nick Lawlor.  The river's current gave us a bit of a workout and the underwater visibility was silty at times, yet we made the best of it. I shot some topside images on Sunday morning before heading back home. 

For more information about the Salute to the Sockeye festival, visit the Adams River Society’s web site at www.salmonsociety.com

Words of Wisdom

"You will never find the right person if you do not let go of the wrong one..."

Browning Pass HideAway Dive Resort~ Set Adrift On Diving Bliss!

I spent the past week diving at the Browning Pass HideAway Dive Resort, just north of Port Hardy, BC.  Captain John deBoeck never ceases to amaze diving guests with Browning Pass and all its diving wonders!

For more information, go to: www.vancouverislanddive.com

These are just a few images I captured...

Number 9 ~ Happy Birthday, John Lennon!

October 9th, would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday.  Today we remember the man, husband, father, musician and peace activist that was John Winston Ono Lennon. 

I can recall when Double Fantasy was released in 1980, Lennon stated the album cover would feature Yoko & him kissing.  At the time, they intended that any pictures of them in the media would only show them kissing.  A protest of sorts against war and I suspect negative vibrations in general.  After all, what image could be more disarming than two people who are in love, kissing?

I came across a quote today by none other than Dr, Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."  I think, Mr. Lennon would have liked that...

"Think peace. Act Peace. Spread peace and Imagine peace."

Decorator Crab ~ Master Of Disguise

A master of disguise, this bizarre-looking "decorator crab" demonstrates the fine art of undersea camouflage by attaching various detritus to to its exoskeleton.  These crabs use their sticky saliva to attach items they find to their body making them sometimes difficult to spot on an invertebrate encrusted reef or wall.  Photo taken in Browning Passage, British Columbia.

Northwest Dive News Published My Vanuatu Story

Apart from publishing my story, "Vanuatu: Bali Hai in the South Pacific", I also scored the magazine's cover shot!

Selene Peterson, Executive Assistant to the Publisher, said "We will be using your most awesome photo from Vanuatu titled “Diver and Soft Coral” for the cover of NORTHWEST DIVE NEWS. We love it!! It is incredible and the colors are amazing. Many thanks and most appreciated!!!"

The Shark-Free Marina Initiative

A very worthy cause whose goal is to reduce worldwide shark mortality.

Registered 'Shark-Free' marinas participate in a voluntary program under which they agree to prohibit sharks from being harvested at their facility. Working in tandem with businesses and fishermen we develop sensible protocols under which threatened species of shark are permitted to recover and replenish their stocks. We also work with policy makers at Local, State and Federal levels to create and enforce community conscious policy and increase the awareness of the need to protect our sharks and our ocean.

Currently between 60 and 100 million sharks are slaughtered worldwide each year. This massive cull of apex predators is unsustainable and poses a serious threat to the oceans health. Over the last 5 years the recreational fishery in the United States has harvested an average of ½ a Million sharks per year, removing them from an already struggling breeding population. Shark-Free Marinas will reduce the mortal take of sharks and encourage responsible use of our ocean.

 (source: www.sharkfreemarinas.com)