The Return Of The Salmon: A Journey To The Heart of Alaska

Each summer, millions of salmon conclude their lifelong odyssey in Alaskan rivers. It is salmon that bring life to their natal streams. While swimming upstream, they stop feeding. From the forest to the animals that live there, salmon provide essential nutrients and food. Many species harvest the seasonal bounty, including bears, wolves, eagles and ravens. This is a journey no salmon survive, for once they have spawned, they die. Each year we catch millions of salmon from the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. Salmon support thousands of Alaskan livelihoods. They are central to the Alaskan way of life. Salmon are the lifeblood of Alaska.

Alaskan cruise tourists can choose wildlife watching as a cruise excursion when they come ashore. Watching bears catching salmon is one of the most popular things to do in Alaska for tourists. Most tourists take a cruise up the Inside Passage and disembark at the Southeast Alaska stops of Sitka, Juneau or Ketchikan. Tour operators offer popular brown bear viewing excursions to nearby "ABC" Islands. Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof Islands are famous for their grizzly bear inhabitants.

There is one animal that draws the most significant amount of tourists from the Lower 48 to Southeast Alaska. Each summer thousands of fishermen make their pilgrimage to fish the rivers of the Tongass National Forest. The Pacific salmon returning from the ocean on their spawning migration are the catch of the day.

Five species of Pacific salmon return to Alaska each summer: the pink or “humpy”, chum, coho, sockeye and Chinook. Each year commercial fishing fleets catch close to 50 million salmon. 120,000 sports fishermen catch 1 million salmon as they return to the rivers of Southeast Alaska. These statistics help us understand the significance of the salmon run to the local economy. Without the return of the salmon, one of nature's great events, Alaska would be a different place.

During Tim Plowden's trip to the Alaska he realised it was all about the return of the salmon. He decided to create this short natural history documentary about the final stage of the salmon’s life cycle. Their migration to the waters of their birth to spawn is an epic story.

A score composed and performed by Christel Veraart accompanies Tim Plowden’s footage.

Check out the soundtrack: https://christelveraart.com/discograp...

Awards: "Best Of Alaska Award" 2015 Alaska International Film Awards; "Award of Merit" 2015 IndieFEST Film Awards.

Official Selections: 2015 British Documentary Film Festival; 2015 International Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival; Voices from the Waters International Traveling Film Festival in India.

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Website: http://www.timplowden.co.uk

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