The wild Pacific salmon is an ancient fish with a storied past and cultural connections that continue to this day. A scenic float down the river is the perfect way to view these incredable fish. It is possible to trace the ancestry of this fish back six million years. In fact, the salmon's ability to move between fresh and salt water has enabled it to evolve through at least five major ice ages. A number of fish, among them carp, perch and cod, have salmonoid ancestors.

The five species of Oncorhynchus (so called because of the "hooked snout" they develop during sexual maturation) are unique in that they are anadromous (that is, they live in fresh and salt water) and they die after spawning. Pacific salmon return to the rivers of their birth to spawn and die, navigating their way past natural and man-made obstructions using an internal compass that has thus far defied scientific identification, driven by the biological urge to mate.

The headwaters of the Fraser is home to the longest Chinook salmon run in the world. Look for the salmon in the small creeks, streams and rivers in the Robson Valley in August. The run lasts approximately a month and ther are ample opportunities to view the fish spawning during this time. The yearly migration of the fish also provides excellent opportunity for viewing bears eagles and other wildlife as animals congrigate to feed on the dieing fish.