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Thornton Creek Hatchery: bears and salmon
The Thornton Creek Salmon Hatchery is only a short drive from Ucluelet. This hatchery and creek are one of the best places to observe a miracle of the natural world: the annual salmon spawn. And it is also a great place to watch bears in the wild - especially this time of year.
The hatchery itself is part of a salmon enhancement project that raises baby salmon to be released in streams and rivers throughout the Clayoquot/Barkley Sound region. Scientists still do not fully understand what has caused the decline of the salmon. Some factors include: a history of overfishing; industrial logging, which clogs up streams with mud and logging debris; and salmon farming, which results in non-native salmon species escaping to the wild and which also may introduce and concentrate diseases that pass to wild salmon populations.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of coho, chum and chinook salmon raised at Thornton Creek are released into numerous streams where salmon populations have been declining. Salmon are also released into Thornton Creek itself, and these fish return here every autumn, with their numbers peaking in October.
With the returning salmon come the bears, fattening up on this nutritious and abundant food as winter is just around the corner. So Thornton Creek is a great place to watch not only the salmon but also bears fishing here at this time of year. There is a bridge over the river-mouth that gives a view out to the tidal flats and the inlet, and there is also a short trail that leads up the creek and to a pretty waterfall.
During salmon season, the bears may be very preoccupied with their fishing, and it may be tempting to try to approach them. It is very important to remember that, as much as they may seem gentle and even cute and cuddly, they are wild animals with a lot of strength, and their behaviour can be swift and unpredictable.
Be wise. Do not take dogs to Thornton Creek during salmon season. If you encounter a bear, keep a very safe distance away from it. If you are smart about how you travel, you may be fortunate to witness some incredible wild animal behaviours and take some lovely photos, without endangering yourself or the wildlife.
Thornton Creek Hatchery is about 10km from Ucluelet. To get there, turn east on the Port Albion Road (from the highway, the turnoff is about 6km north of Ucluelet, about 1.5km south of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction). Look for signs pointing to Thornton Creek - first a right turn about 1km down the road, followed by another right turn. Best viewing of bears and salmon is from late September through November, but the hatchery and creek are a pretty place to visit year-round.
- Photos & text by Jacqueline Windh©
