On the river, a search for 'living fossils'

More than 20 people stood aboard a pontoon boat stopped by the Port of Richmond in the James River Sunday afternoon, hoping to see a large fish jump out of the water.

A “soft gaze” over the stern and bow of the boat are the best way to catch an Atlantic sturgeon breaching, according to the James River Association officials who organized the outing. The sight of one of the prehistoric fish – which usually are about six to eight feet long – reminds some of watching a dolphin leap into the air at a show.

The outing was one of many organized by the James River Association as a part of its annual James River Week. The organization began its “The Great Return of the Atlantic Sturgeon” event years ago with canoe trips open to the public, said Justin Doyle, director of community conservation and co-chair of the James River Week Committee.

“We realized that we have this wildlife spectacle,” Doyle said, “and why not use this opportunity to educate folks about Atlantic sturgeon, which are an endangered species, and also educate folks about the health of the river?”

From July to October, sturgeon travel as far north as Richmond for spawning season, during which they breach. Although some experts have called the behavior a mating ritual and others claim it helps clear parasites from gills, it’s a mystery, said Lucas Soulas, a seasonal educator working the outings this year. The best guess is that the fish are simply having fun, he said.

Atlantic sturgeon have a life span that almost mimics those of humans, Soulas said. The fish are covered in “scutes,” or boning plates, that are like chain mail, and have no teeth.

Soulas, who called the fish “living fossils,” said that there once were about 180,000 sturgeon. But by the early 1900s, overfishing had led to rapid population decline and the market around sturgeon collapsed, he said. Although the population has remained low, a fishing ban was implemented only in more recent decades.

On Sunday, Soulas said those who attended the midday outing saw 11 sturgeon breach. People attending the next outing later in the afternoon didn’t catch any sturgeon in action, likely due to a large barge traveling through the area that could have scared the fish, Soulas said.

Even with no sturgeon in sight, there was still other wildlife to see, including bald eagles and great blue heron.

Soulas is in his first year leading the sturgeon-sighting trips, and he usually guides groups down the river with school children. His first time on a boat heading down the James River was in high school, he said.

“I came aboard the trip and I liked it so much, it became my job,” Soulas said.

Yvonne Howell, who has lived in the area for decades, said that she has long wanted to attend one of the JRA’s sturgeon-sighting trips.

“We are just kind of unlucky we didn’t see them today, but I would go again, I would love to see them,” she said. “That’s just a spectacular species – older than dinosaurs and they still exist?”

Victoria Mackenzie, who lived in Henrico County until 1985, was visiting her sister, who surprised her with tickets to the sturgeon outing. Despite the lack of sturgeon breachings, Mackenzie enjoyed the trip and seeing bald eagles and other wildlife, she said.

For James River Week, the James River Advisory Council partners with the James River Association, Friends of the James River Park, Maymont Foundation, and many other local organizations to host various events and programming. This year, the events include the annual river cleanup, a composting workshop, hiking at Belle Isle, a family field day at James River Park, and trivia and other events at local breweries. There’s something for everyone, Doyle said.

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The James River Association will run its sturgeon trips multiple times a day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and cost $25 a person. More information about the outings and other events for James River Week can be found at thejamesriver.org.