Year-after-year, the salmon in Goldstream River prove that any-fin is possible, as long as you just keep swimming.
The salmon are still making their way through Goldstream Provincial Park as they return from years away in the ocean and are drawing many visitors to the area.
Parking was packed at the park on Wednesday with many people waiting for spots to free up so they could get a look at the salmon in the river.
READ MORE: Just keep swimming: Salmon head across flooded highway to spawn
Park naturalist Tracey Bleackley said there are thousands of people — on top of the large school groups — visiting Goldstream Provincial Park to see and learn about the salmon.
Many seagulls are populating the area as well as they wait for an easy snack to wash by them.
Bleackley said about nine different species of gulls, as well as a large eagle population, come to the park during this time of year.
“Over the weekend we counted about 86 bald eagles,” Bleackley said. “You will not see eagles together at any other time of the year because they’re very territorial.”
READ MORE: Spawning salmon start to trickle through Goldstream Park
Salmon carcasses are also starting to surface but the significant, fishy smell has yet to arrive.
On Wednesday afternoon, school groups and tourists could be seen at the river learning about the journey salmon make to spawn.
Sarah Thomas was visiting Goldstream Park on Wednesday from Lyon, France. She is on her holidays in Canada for a few weeks.
“It’s beautiful,” Thomas said. “Nature is cruel but … it’s very interesting.”
While the park is welcoming a large number of visitors every day, Bleackley said she did not want to comment on the lack of parking spaces. She suggested people carpool to try and minimize traffic.
shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com