Flying Coho at the Salmon Cascades
Story + Photography by Sara Montour Lewis
In a year filled with uncertainty in our world, as COVID leaves us shaken and unable to connect as deeply with our community, or even our closest friends and family, I stumbled upon a perfect moment of solidarity.
Perched on the rocky riverbed of the Sol Duc River in Olympic National Park with an ever-changing group of masked strangers, we joined together to heartily cheer on Coho Salmon as they made their attempts to defy gravity, leave the water and soar upstream and also winced together as their attempts fell short and the salmon returned to the lineup to rest and gather up the courage to try it again.
You can’t live in the northwest without seeing, and hearing, salmon seemingly touch every facet of life and culture. Their importance to the ecosystem can’t be overstated and even from afar it’s easy to see how essential they are to life in the northwest and how devastating the collapse of salmon populations in the region has been.
Sitting on the riverbed and watching their determination in front of your own eyes (or camera lens) is a different experience, though. It’s hard not to be humbled by their presence as you’re watching evolution at work and it’s easy to fully understand in that moment why there’s such a fight to preserve these wild runs.
This photograph is available as a print in our shop!
This photograph is available as a print in our shop!
This photograph is available as a print in our shop!
This photograph is available as a print in our shop!
CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES:
We’re right in the heart of salmon season around Puget Sound, so keep your eyes peeled as you’re walking near rivers that feed into the Sound for an opportunity to view salmon right in your backyard. There are also salmon recovery efforts all around our state and plenty of opportunities to be a part of helping these keystone species succeed!
King County — The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks has a great website with resources on where to find salmon and how to help with recovery efforts at kingcounty.gov/salmon.
Hood Canal — The folks at the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group are great at keeping us all up to date on salmon recovery and restoration efforts via social media.
Olympic Peninsula — Check out the efforts of the North Olympic Salmon Coalition
Whatcom County — The NSEA (Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association) is leading the charge in Whatcom County and has plenty of opportunities to get involved.
The Greater Pacific Northwest — Follow the Wild Salmon Center to stay informed about what’s happening with salmon recovery in the greater Pacific Northwest, including updates on the fate of Bristol Bay, which holds the world’s largest sockeye run and is in an ongoing battle to save those pristine waters from collapse due to the proposed Pebble Mine.
Items from this adventure in our shop:
Finishing Options
Print Only: Image is printed on our favorite archival Kodak Endura Professional Lustre Paper that displays bold colors and a deep contrast with a little bit of sheen.
White + Black Frames: Print is mounted and framed in a 1 1/4" frame, fronted with a glare-resistant acrylic that also provides UV protection for your print.
Ash + Walnut Wood Frames: Print is mounted and framed in a 3/4" real wood frame, fronted with a glare-resistant acrylic that also provides UV protection for your print.
Gold + Silver Metal Frames: Print is mounted and framed in a 1 1/4" metal frame, fronted with a glare-resistant acrylic that also provides UV protection for your print.
Metal Prints: The image is printed directly onto sheet of brushed aluminum, over a white base coat, which enhances vibrant colors and bright whites, and is finished with a high finish. 5x7" prints come with a metal easel back for display. All other sizes come with a 1 5/16" black inset metal frame with a wire hanger. (Metal prints can also be customized with metal posts in the corners for hanging or can come without backing at all. Contact us for a custom quote for these options.)
Canvas Gallery Wraps: Images are printed on a premium fine art canvas and are finished with a matte coating to offer protection. The image is then wrapped around a 1 1/2" wooden frame and finished with sawtooth hangers for displaying. There are 2" on each side of the print that is wrapped around the the frame to create a cohesive look.
Bamboo: Image is printed on our favorite archival Kodak Endura Professional Lustre Paper and then is mounted onto a 3/4" bamboo panel.
Wood Print: Image is printed directly onto a 1/2" maple wood panel and finished with a protective laminate. The natural grain of the wood shows through the print, especially in lighter-colored areas of the image, creating a unique, natural look.
ETC:
Please feel free to contact us directly with any questions, requests for custom orders or if you can't find an image here in our shop that you've seen elsewhere. We're happy to help!
As always, we donate a minimum of 10% of proceeds from our sales to local organizations working every day to protect Puget Sound.
This image was taking during a day of nonstop action in Olympic National Park as Coho Salmon attempted to take to the air and launch themselves over a waterfall to their natal breeding grounds on the Sol Duc River.
View the full story here.
