This coming Friday, July 12th, Springer (A73) will return to her ancestral home in the Johnstone Strait area of British Columbia! A site has been prepared in Dong Chong Bay at the eastern edge of Hanson Island, adjacent to Blackfish Sound. Two pens are ready – one for Springer and another for wild salmon that will be caught shortly before she arrives. Soon after dawn on Friday, Springer will be carefully lifted in a sling and lowered into a large crate on board a vessel that will speed northwards at 30 knots. Twelve hours later, Springer will be lowered into the pen in Dong Chong Bay, and she will be back in her home waters. What happens after that is somewhat uncertain, but some of Springer’s closest relatives, the A11 matriline of the A4 pod, arrived in Johnstone Strait yesterday. Her natal group, the A24 matriline of the A4 pod, may have arrived also, though they have not yet been positively identified. So the stage is set – Springer will soon be home, and her family will probably be nearby when she arrives. The “plan” is for Springer to be released from her pen, so she will be free to join her family, as soon as she has recovered from her journey…fingers crossed!
Paul Spong
