Well THIS was an experience! Toni, at the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery, gave us a wonderful tour... complete with an opportunity to not only view, but participate in salmon spawning. Lily took part, and was quite proud of the fact that it included "testing" the eggs by sticking her hand in the net to feel the squishiness, and if so yell out, "Good!", before they were poured in a steel bowl for the next step of fertilization. This consisted of a squirt bottle filled with milt from the male salmon, and stirred up in the bowl. Super high-tech. ;) The Hatchery has an order to fill for 1.5 million salmon, to restock lakes. About 30% of the fertilized eggs will survive to maturity and release.
(Taylor)
Female Salmon have about 2500 eggs, and after they spawn they die.
(Kate)
The giant Buffalo Fish was cool! It's the largest North American sucker fish, and can get to be 5 feet long!
(Lily)
Salmon eggs feel really squishy, like Orbeez, and slimy, but kind of like smooth peach fuzz too.
It's official... Lily has spawned salmon.
Not for the faint of heart... there was a field trip before us where a 3rd grader passed out. I don't blame them.
Bright is fresh, dark is older, white is dead.
Paddlefish
Great tour if you're ever near Riverdale, ND!
North Dakota food specialty we had to try... Fleischkuechle (Flesh-keek-la)/German Meat Pie. It was tasty! Kind of a spiced meat patty in the deep fried dough.
No comments:
Post a Comment