River Snorkeling (AKA: The Search For Deeper Understanding While Fighting Off Mild Hypothermia)

Many people have a deep connection with both rivers and the fish that inhabit them, yet few beyond fisheries professionals actually observe the underwater world of their waters. I was invited along to snorkel with the returning salmon in my local river by a fisheries biologist friend. That day in the water changed my life, drawing me closer to these remarkable creatures and the slender thread of water they call home. This discovery happened at a fortuitous time. Advances in technology and communications put the power for a person to capture images of the underwater world in the palm of their hand and share that vision across the world with a growing community of like-minded people. Technology is bringing together science professionals, amateur citizen explorers, advocates, documentarians and fishy folks of all kinds, creating a common place to learn, share and form connections in ways never before possible. Immersion into the underwater world demands the voyager fully commit to their environment. Breaking through the film creates wonder in a very simple, powerful way. If you are a fisheries professional and not snorkeling… you should be. Explore your local rivers.