At last, after nearly five days of rain, the sun has returned! It feels great to finally be out and about again. We've moved on to Lake Bay, a spot recommended by some fellow sailors, and it did not disappoint. After a couple of hours of motoring, we entered the bay, passing right by the largest salmon hatchery in North America. We dropped anchor and secured a stern line to the shore. At the head of the bay, we were immediately greeted by Steller sea lions—the largest seals in the area. The males can grow up to 3.3 metres long and weigh around 1,000 kilograms, so they’re definitely not small, and they know how to get around.
Once we were anchored, we decided to make the most of the day and headed ashore to tour the hatchery. It was fascinating to see the process up close—watching as they extracted eggs and sperm, then mixed them by hand to fertilise the eggs, achieving a fertility rate of 98%. After fertilisation, the salmon are placed into pools. After 24 hours, they are moved into two vaccine ponds. One is to treat a skin disease the salmon contract from clumping up at the gates, and the other helps them transition from freshwater to saltwater. The entire operation is run by around 30 people on site. It was surprising to learn that even in such a remote location, the salmon are vaccinated.
After exploring the hatchery, we hiked up the hill to the river, discovering a massive lake and a waterfall absolutely teeming with salmon. With so many fish, the Steller sea lions and black bears have plenty to eat—no one’s going hungry here! The Stellar sea lions are very loud making a roaring noise, so will see how we will sleep tonight!
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Paul
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