Snorkelling with Salmon in Chilliwack Lake

[@ShirleeKnott]

thank you! so beautiful and calming

[@ShirleeKnott]

what I needed while pups napping after a loud and crazy start to the day

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@ShirleeKnott]

@@emeraldsky8009 yw

[@dustinray2798]

This is such a cool video. I see baby coho salmon in the Hoh rainforest every year, they always spawn in the same spot. They are such a curious fish, they will swim to the surface to investigate you if you spend enough time there. Really great footage here, its amazing to see them as adults.

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks.

[@bmiller7710]

You need to sell this as a screen saver! My goodness it’s beautiful to watch

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks very much! The screen saver is an idea!

[@Unapproachable_Light]

Look at the whitefish swimming below them, looking for any dropped eggs. This is amazing. I only see salmon swimming up streams in the great lakes. When I see chinook and coho salmon upstream and spawning, their fins are beginning to rot and it looks like what you said may be leaches. It could be both. I do not know the biology out there. I just noticed a sucker fish looking for some loose eggs.

[@emeraldsky8009]

Yes it might be rotting or leaches. I have still photos which definitely show leaches from previous trips, but in this video it's not clear which it is. Having gotten more video I'm somewhat leaning toward rot/fungus instead of leaches. I hadn't thought of the egg angle so that might be what the whitefish are doing. The video from the next week shows a bunch of suckers sitting on a log right below the salmon probably waiting for something edible to drop down!

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Nice video Barry. This is one of my favorite spots to dive. I kept meaning to go up there this summer to hunt for fishing lures, but I never made it.

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks Petr! It's a great thing you do removing that stuff. Since I wasn't diving down I couldn't access 99.9% of them.

[@FishingwithRod]

This is so good! I have a couple of questions. Have you done this swim in past years around the same time? If so, how is the abundance of adult coho salmon in the same area compared to this year? Interesting to see a few chinook salmon mixed in there, as they originated from the hatchery. Those whitefish were just waiting, for eggs to drop eventually.

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks! I haven't dove this area at this time of year before so I can't comment on changes in abundance. You're probably right about the whitefish!

[@FishingwithRod]

@@emeraldsky8009 Also I was just watching the last video from Chilliwack Lake and noticed the suckers just sitting on the log, very interesting behaviour! I gave that one a share in our IG story so hopefully it gets viewed by many others. It'd be interesting to see how the abundance of coho at the same spot looks each year if you decide to go back and do it again in the future.

[@emeraldsky8009]

@@FishingwithRod Thanks for the share. I hope I can go back next year. This year there seemed to be a narrow window where the boat launch was open and the fish were in the lake.

[@dinnersat630]

Beautiful! The shots are all super stable too considering the camera is on a selfie stick. Really lovely looking shots.

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks! I was mostly just drifting with the current so relatively easy to hold the camera steady.

[@ShirleeKnott]

indeed!

[@billfulton6857]

Great video Mr Sky

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@WatermanSurin]

great footage! The water is so clear!

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks! Chilliwack lake is usually quite clear. It's a nice big settling pond for any murk.

[@danheffable]

Amazing video, thanks for sharing!

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@avid.venture]

4:12 love the one chrome sitting in the light rays

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks. Wish I could get a whole school of them!!

[@PNWSamson]

Amazing footage!

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@ShirleeKnott]

agree! really enjoy his videos

[@alirezasarkhosh3235]

Good job 👏 Does your wetsuit is 7mm? Do you feel cold?

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks! Wetsuit was 7mm top, 3mm bottom. Water was ~13C. I felt cold towards the end of the dive.

[@alirezasarkhosh3235]

@ thanks for the response

[@UnderwaterFishFilms]

fine footage !

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@davidmoore3049]

Chilliwack Lake is bloody cold . How thick a wetsuit were you using and what part of the lake were you filming at?

[@emeraldsky8009]

This day in October temperature was around 13C and I was wearing a 7mm jacket and 3mm farmer john. I've seen it 5C in May. I was at the North end of the lake.

[@FishingWithDanVictoriaBC]

Great video!!! Thank you!

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@naturebc]

Nice video. Almost all of them are male coho. And wild too. This means its still early season to mid

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks! I didn't notice the maleness of the schools, that's interesting. Unfortunately I won't be able to access this spot for much longer so I won't be able to follow what happens.

[@squamishfish]

Wow nice , Any Trout ?

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks. A few trout but not a lot. Bull or Dolly Varden and some Rainbows. In years past I've seen some descent sized fish of both types in the Chilliwack river. Usually they're following a salmon run.

[@OrcaAura]

super great work ... :)

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Wow!

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@emeraldsky8009 I love aquatic life so much! That's why I subscribed to your channel!

[@charlesbey8636]

Make sure you have your lunch on shore. Stay away from the roe sandwiches down there. Especially if they have a silver glint to em.

[@emeraldsky8009]

No doubt! I want to see lots of salmon years from now.

[@kioly_ah]

漂亮

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks

[@georgepettegrew1967]

very cool

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@WayneVerwey]

Really cool!

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks!

[@mstatus2.058]

So cool.

[@emeraldsky8009]

Thanks

[@user-ue1pv1wv7o]

what camera? thx

[@emeraldsky8009]

GoPro Hero9 with a Backscatter 140 degree wide angle lens attached.

[@ix_stompdown_-xi8199]

Where do they spawn?

[@emeraldsky8009]

I'm not entirely sure, there is a big gravel bed just down stream from the river mouth so they probably spawn there. I suppose it's possible that they cross the lake and enter the upstream continuation of the Chilliwack River. I've seen Kokanee spawning on a lake shore so maybe that happens with these Coho.

[@wantasandwichfilms1841]

​@@emeraldsky8009Absolutely on the gravel below, along with steelhead later in the spring. Many go up the Upper Chilliwack but also into Depot and Paleface Creeks.

[@emeraldsky8009]

@@wantasandwichfilms1841 Thanks for the information!