Herring Spawns Bring More Dolphins to Howe Sound

By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Aug. 11, 2012

Thanks to an environmental initiative that started in Squamish, hundreds of dolphins have been seen frolicking in the waters of the Howe Sound.

More than 300 white-sided dolphins have visited the Howe Sound waters in the past two years.

The abundance of herring, recent research suggests, might have something to do with it.

How the herring became abundant is a story that has become a Squamish legend.

In 2006, Squamish Streamkeepers discovered millions of dead herring eggs on creosote pilings in an inlet near the Squamish terminals.

To protect the eggs, the streamkeepers decided to wrap the creosote pilings with a plastic covering.

The solution worked, and there has been a healthy herring spawn ever since.

It has also brought back fish, sea lion, and an army of dolphins back into the Howe Sound waters.

That was the conclusion of a recent Vancouver Aquarium fish research scientist Jeff Marilave who studied the Howe Sound recently to ascertain the link between herring spawns and the dolphins in the Howe Sound.

Marilave, along with a research team from the Fisheries and Oceans, surveyed the Sound as part of the Howe Sound Research Program, one of the Aquarium’s dedicated research initiatives.

On this trip, he focussed on whether adult herring that had spawned in Howe Sound continued to reside there throughout the summer – and therefore, throughout their adulthood.

There is a large population of herring from the east coast of Vancouver Island that typically migrates back to the open sea after spawning in the Strait of Georgia.

This has led to the conclusion that herring that spawn in abundance in Howe Sound should also be migrating out to open sea at the end of their first year of life.

However, on this trip, the team also found evidence of older herring opposite Bowen Island, as well as a high density of two-year old herring in surface waters up by Squamish.

One-year old herring were abundant in Ramilles Channel, North of Anvil Island, and underyearling (young-of-the-year) herring were caught everywhere at shallow depths.

In addition to herring, juvenile hake were spotted in abundance at greater depths of the Squamish Reach, north of Porteau.

The juvenile hake and the adult herring are all the perfect size for white-sided dolphins to feed on.

Marilave said this may explain why the dolphins have taken up residence in Howe Sound.

Dr. John Matsen, the Squamish Streamkeepers Herring Recovery Cordinator, said the streamkeepers plan to wrap nearly 800 creosote pilings with protective material.

The abundance of dolphins, he said, will draw the attraction of British Columbians and Sea to Sky residents towards the need to proect our fragile ecosystem.

“It brings our attention to Howe Sound, and it shows that there is life here in our waters,” Matsen said.