Ray’s GM and Co-Owner Doug Zellers alongside Ray’s Sous Chef Kevin Murray recently donned their dry suits to snorkel with Long Live the Kings (LLTK) in the Lilliwaup River at Hood Canal!

The day began with of tour of LLTK’s Lilliwaup field station, their conservation hatchery located on private land. After 30 minutes of getting bundled up into a 3 layered dry suit set up (gotta stay warm!) the group took a self-guided exploration tour of the splash pool on the Lilliwaup River where they snorkeled among mature Coho and Steelhead.

The group also had the opportunity to float a portion of the river alongside returning Coho salmon (big fish at 12-15lbs each)! In the process, LLTK taught them how to move safety in a body of water with spawning fish while avoiding damage to the habitat or harassing the fish.

Afterwards, everyone enjoyed lunch at Hama Hama Oyster Saloon for fresh local shellfish, cold beverages and good conversation!

Ray’s is very thankful for the hard work and dedication that LLTK and supporting partners provide to ensure that fishing remains sustainable. The work they are doing is incredible and we are honored to support them and have a front row seat.

This opportunity to get in the water and see our local salmon habitats up-close was exciting and educational, bringing our team one step closer to the environment that these incredible fish live in and one that our friends at LLTK are working so hard to maintain.

Learn more about the many ways we partner with LLTK to educate ourselves further about what they and other local sustainable partners are doing to grow our salmon populations.