Atlantic Sturgeon visit Gardiner for spawning in the Cobbossee Stream

Straining to catch a glimpse of these prehistoric fish, I peered over the bridge into the dark river below. Tons of little fish were swimming, and the light was reflecting off their shiny silver scales. They were in the shallow areas of the water where the sun was gleaming so you could see the sand and rocks below. The sturgeon however were in the deeper parts of the river and were harder to see. Sometimes all you could see was a large shadow moving through the dark water. Sometimes you would hear a splash, but it was nowhere near where you were looking. 

“Missed it again!” I would think every time I heard the splash and caught the edges of it disappear into the murky waters. 

The humidity hung heavy in the air. It was one of those days where the second you step outside you’re covered in sweat. Despite the heat, I could stay there all day and watch for wildlife.  I would realize later that night that I was sunburned.

“There it is right there, right by that white rock!” someone would say. I would look harder trying to see them, without any luck. Meanwhile the ducks that I would usually be photographing were floating down the river beside me. A mom with two babies were in the grass next to the shore, trying to hide from the people lining the rivers edge. I would get distracted by them and then miss another sturgeon!

Finally some of them swam close enough to the surface that I could see them! They were massive fish, up to 10ft long! Hundreds of these fish gathered in Cobbossee Stream of Downtown Gardiner for summer spawning. It seems to have rained nearly every day since I lost my father, and the high water levels from all the rain may have contributed to this unique gathering. That plus the Clean Water Act, a DOT bridge renovation allowing for easier fish passage, and an increase in the sturgeon population. A dam was also removed in Augusta for fish passage. The conditions were just right for the sturgeon. I hope they will be next year too. I heard someone say the sturgeon haven’t been seen here in 40 years.

Keeping my eyes on the water, suddenly one of them breached the surface and I snapped a photo, but I was too late to catch him in the air. I got a photo just as he was returning to the waters. “That would have been such a great shot,” I think to myself with disappointment.

There was a large gathering of people with me on the bridge, and more along the river banks below. Someone is talking about how there were tons of them the morning before, all jumping out of the water. “I missed it,” I think with frustration.

Tired of staring at the dark waters for a shadow of a fish, I relocated to the landing where the Cobbossee empties into the Kennebec River. Hopefully I can see into the water better here.

A fisherman started setting up a rod next to me. I ask him if he’s trying to catch them. 

“You can’t,” he tells me, “They’re an endangered species, and you’ll get a 10,000 fine for intentionally catching one.”

Wow, I didn’t know that. I didn’t know anything about sturgeon before witnessing this spectacular event. At the mouth of the river, I watched these massive fish jump high out of the water and flip around before returning with a massive splash. I tried to figure out if there was any pattern that might predict when they might jump. Is it when the ducks fly away? Nothing seemed to create a predictable pattern. So I continued to wait and scan the waters hoping my camera is pointed in the right direction when they jump.

Keeping my eyes on the water, I think about how much I wish my dad was here to see this. He used to look for ducks and other wildlife with me, even after he had worked all day in tough weather conditions. He would have thought this is so cool. Like everything in his life, he just barely missed it. He missed his 60th birthday by just 2 weeks. We always feared that he wouldn’t make it to retirement, especially when they keep raising the retirement age on him. It’s like a race where they keep moving the finish line further away on you. And he wasn’t a person who would retire early. Still, we didn’t this we would lose him this year. He’s been gone for three months now. The days do not get easier, and I think of all the things he’s going miss now.

As this wave of sadness passes over me, another sturgeon jumps high out of the waters.