What we have observed from the 2014 herring spawn (our first) is as follows.. It is not meant to be scientific in any way but for our record.

March 21 – We saw schools of herring below our perch and watched them release eggs which floated to the surface

March 28 – Pacific White sided dolphins below the perch presumably here for the herring

April 2     –  Spawn at M Island… Eggs visible on the kelp, water white with milt, Gulls and eagles feasting on herring pushed to the surface by hundreds of sea lions

April 6    – Pod of Orca (5)  follow the spawn through the Narrows

April 8    – Milt in the water north of PC Cove

April 9    – Spawn outside of Marine Park… Lots and lots of eagles

April 10 –  Milt appears in our south bay.. begins under the E’s house and spreads across the bay. By early evening it filled the bay and the shore off the Point.. The bay next to us completely white also by the time we went home.

April 13 – Marine Park full of eagles and sea lions… Our sister-in-law woke up to the national geographic in the south bay.. over fifty eagles, and as many otter, sea lions and seals feeding on the spawn.. it continued for the next two days

April 20 – Hundreds of herring gulls and sea gulls remain on the beaches at the south end.. Fields of Scoters hang around for over ten days just off shore.

There has been some question of the route the herring have followed.. There are the those in the camp who say the herring come from the North moving south… as we witnessed with the spawn and other who say the herring move north… E’s dad was of the opinion they moved north.. I would never argue with him … especially as he spent most of his career with the DFO….

So I looked it up in a book. on google… I attach for your interest….. Herring Migratory Behavior

It seems the herring feed in the fall and winter off the west coast of Vancouver Island and then move north up the Georgia Straight past us  to then spend the spring and summer spawning and moving back down south….

everyone was right

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