Cannery Crew Welcomes Salmonids!

Each year, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site turns into a temporary nursery to raise Coho salmon, as part of the Salmonids in the Classroom program.

By Visitor Services Manager, Andrea

On December 12, we are egg-cited to receive 55 Coho salmon eggs through the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Salmonids in the Classroom program. The eggs were gently placed in the redd (a nest of rocks) where they will remain mostly in the dark until they hatch.

These eggs began life at a the Semiamhoo Hatchery at 0 thermal units. Each day, their water temperature is added and totaled as Accumulated Thermal Units (ATUs). This is how their age is recorded. Our eggs arrived at 250 ATUs. Coho eggs hatch when they are at about 450 ATUs. To figure out when this will be, we take 450 minus the ATUs they are at now. At this time, they have 200 ATUs left to go until they hatch. Their water temperature is 6°C, so dividing 200 by 6 give us 33 days. This means we can expect the eggs to hatch around January 8, 2024. Until then, we have the pleasure of watching the eggs develop and seeing tiny fish form inside. Come and check them out in the Cannery’s lobby.