THE SALMON HAVE ARRIVED!

It’s true! The salmon have finally arrived! It’s hard to tell who’s more thrilled – our visitors seeing the salmon for the first time or the staff who see them everyday year in and year out! There’s something so magnificent about the creature and to really be able to stare that large wild Atlantic Salmon right in the eye is remarkable – no matter how often you do it!

Yesterday evening the first few made their way in to the viewing area. It was about 4:30pm and I had gone downstairs to the viewing area with a young tourist couple. We chatted while looking at the empty water, picturing the fish was the best we could do. After about ten minutes we went back to the building and the couple went for a trip to the viewing deck at the base of the falls. I went to the viewing chamber about three minutes later with another elderly couple with the same thoughts in mind, to discuss these fish we couldn’t quite see yet.

When we made our downstairs THERE THEY WERE! Three Atlantic Salmon swimming around and around the final pool of the 34 elevated pools of the Torrent River Fishway! I must have scared the wits out of that elderly gentleman when I squealed with excitement! We’ve been waiting quite some time for these precious silver fish to arrive and finally there they were! We admired the fish and chatted for some time. As we came upstairs to head back in the building I saw the younger couple from earlier making their way to from the viewing deck at the base of the falls! I shouted out to them to come on in – the salmon had arrived! They ran all around the building and inside, and we near ran downstairs together! What a time!

This morning there were another 30+ salmon in the viewing area of the ladder! So numbers are going up and the salmon are moving! And we’re still just as excited as yesterday!

If you are in Hawke’s Bay, NL anytime this summer be sure to come to the Torrent River Salmon Interpretation Center! We have. . .

•  Fascinating exhibits that share the story of the Torrent River, the fishway and how through community and governmental partnerships the Torrent River has been restocked to now be the province’s most successful salmon enhancement project!
• A viewing deck at the base of the Torrent River Falls giving you full view of the Torrent River fishway and the falls! Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll see a a salmon jumping there!
• A beautiful 3 km boardwalk extending from the Torrent River Nature Park in Hawke’s Bay to the Salmon Interpretation Center in at the Falls
• A 1 km boardwalk extension  departing from the Interpretation Center to head back inside to a breathtaking view of the Torrent River and the Long Range mountains!
• And MOST AMAZINGLY the Torrent River Fishway with a viewing chamber so that you can stare a wild Atlantic Salmon right in the eye!

For more information call Ashley Baker at (709) 248 4066