Mesmerising video shows salmon battling upstream as autumn approaches
  • 2 years ago
This incredible footage shows the 'salmon run' - fish battling upstream as autumn approaches so they can spawn. Professional snapper David Tipling, 57, went up to the Scottish Highlands for a week in the wild. And, during the trip, he captured striking video of salmon leaping up the Falls of Shin, near the village of Lairg. The high-definition, slow motion clips show Atlantic salmon making their way upstream to their spawning grounds further up the river. The salmon run is the time when salmon, which have migrated from the ocean, swim to the upper reaches of rivers where they deposit eggs on gravel beds. David, who has been a photographer for 30 years, said: "They’re Atlantic salmon returning to the river where they were born to spawn. “They spawn in gravelly beds upstream and so they have to swim through obstacles like the waterfall to get to their spawning grounds in November to early December. “Most autumns I try and spend a few days photographing leaping salmon – it depends on the year and how much water is in the river. “The good thing about the Falls of Shin is there’s a big hydroelectric dam upstream which moderates the water flow so it’s never a small amount – it's the most reliable place to see leaping salmon. “This summer, where it’s been so dry, the rivers are low and the salmon don’t come in until there’s a good flow of water. “The footage was taken between 30 August and 6 September, with most of the videoing happing during the last couple of days.”
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