PACIFIC HERRING SPAWN
Documenting the Spring Wildlife Gathering on the shores of Vancouver Island, BC with Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Board
Client
Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism
Project
Documenting the Pacific Herring Spawn – Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism
Production
Wild Journey Media
Role
Filmmaker & Photographer
Partner
JJ Sereday (Wild Journey Media)
Location
Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Each spring, the Pacific Herring return to the shores of Vancouver Island. They move in the millions and, as they spawn, turn the water a cloudy turquoise. It’s a signal for a great wildlife gathering. Eagles and gulls swarm from above. Sea lions bellow. Bigg’s killer whales patrol the coast. Even humpbacks return early from the South Pacific, drawn by the promise of food.
In March 2024, I set out with my business partner, JJ Sereday, to document this phenomenon for the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Board. For a week, we tracked the spawn from Nanaimo to Comox. With the support of Haida Gold Ocean Adventures in Nanoose Bay and Wildwaterways Adventures in Comox, we got on the water and close to the action.
We followed this astonishing natural chaos—on land and sea—capturing moments that revealed just how vital this mighty little silver fish is to the island’s ecosystem.
Deliverables:
Feature article published by Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism - Read the Article
Photo gallerie below (additional work featured on Where Is JJ Sereday)
Mini Guide: How to Experience the Pacific Herring Run - View the Mini Guide
Experience Post on Where IS JJ Sereday
Collaboration Social Media Post - View Post
Additional Social Media Posts - @robinferand & @whereis.jjsereday
Short Film (Currently in Post-Production)
Personal blog: The Pacific Herring Spawn on Monochrome Film
