Mt. Adams Institute intern Heriverto “Eddy” Colado takes us on an imaginative dive into the life of a Pacific Lamprey, and it’s encounter with a human researcher in the field.
In this unique Field Notes entry, Eddy stages an unforgettable “interview” with a lamprey about his encounter with a human researcher in the field, blending storytelling and research in a way only he can and giving a voice to one of the Columbia River’s most ancient inhabitants.
Paired with a dramatic video set to Hans Zimmer’s “Cornfield Chase,” Eddy’s work is sure to captivate your curiosity and expand your perspective on these incredible creatures.
An Interview with a Pacific Lamprey
By Heriverto “Eddy” Colado
The following is an interview I conducted with a Pacific Lamprey (PL) at the Bonneville Dam fish passage viewing window.
When asked about the scariest thing it had ever experienced or encountered in the vast seas, this was what he shared:
PL: “Well… honestly, the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced happened in freshwater when I was young. It happened somewhere along the Columbia River; a place called the Wind River, I think.”
Before I go off telling you about the experience, in case you don’t already know… Our eyes are not fully developed at the juvenile stage of our lives, but we’re still very much capable of sensing the light and sediment pressure above us. Through vibrations, we can even tell when it rains. So, we burrow under sediment to hide from the 40+ documented predators out there, and we filter feed from the sediment diatoms and algae. It’s the greatest thing ever, really. Just like your kind grow at their own pace, so do we, and we’re likely to spend seven to ten years of our juvenile lives in freshwater streams before heading out to sea, as you know, since we are an anadromous species. We’ve been doing that for over 450 million years, and our kind had never seen anything like what I saw that day. I’d heard all the tales before but…
Like I said…I was young when this happened. I didn’t have the tools nor the life experience to properly process what was happening, so that made it exponentially scarier, you know. Knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time… well, I digress, where was I? Oh yes, the Wind River.
That night, we hadn’t come out to play with our friends. There had been a crayfish walking around up at the surface, and I could feel its weight somewhere above us. I waited and waited, but the thing just seemed to be camped out above me… it must have been waiting for me to come out or maybe it fell asleep. We’d all heard tales from our elders of these creatures snacking on our kind in some place they call “California.”
When morning arrived, I could tell it was a clear sky because I could feel the warmth increasing faster than the last few days. I hadn’t slept all night, waiting to feel the pressure difference from the surface. If I fell asleep, I wouldn’t know the weight difference come morning… we learned the hard way how crucial this is, as that’s how Cousin Harold had gotten snatched a year before all this happened. Some joke about him getting abducted by aliens, but we never did see him again.
Anyway, I hadn’t felt any pressure changes, so I began to slowly burrow my way towards my friend Lacey to see what she thought. She’d also been silent all night, waiting it out, and, well, this gave me an excuse to go talk to her. I had burrowed not one inch towards her when I felt a sudden shift of weight above me. Something had scared the creature above. I froze in silence to feel my surroundings and then it happened…
My body began to twitch and move on its own. I began to laugh uncontrollably, and next thing you know, I peed myself. Out of panic over what was happening and to avoid Lacey seeing me, I booked it to the surface, and that’s when I saw it. Your kind. The one we call ‘The Apex Predator.’
I remember surfacing and feeling a ball of light penetrate through my entire body. It wasn’t painful, but you can imagine how terrifying that would have been to a kid that had never been out during the daylight. We were always taught to stay burrowed and move about at night to avoid running into predators. I hung around near the sediment, but that strange, sick feeling wouldn’t go away.
I quickly figured it was those long rod basket things coming from above that were making me feel funny. I swam away from the rod things, and I noticed I felt better. I decided the safest place was to be above it, towards the water surface. The surface is really the last place we young Lamprey want or should be, but what choice did I have, right? By the time I surfaced, I remember being completely exhausted.
I don’t know if you know this—we usually don’t like to talk about it—but us Lamprey, we don’t have those fancy air bladders every other fish has.”
ED: “Bladders?”
PL: “Yeah… I knew you’d ask. Most of your kind don’t know. Air bladders are what fish use to maintain buoyancy at a desired depth. They just fill those things up and done. They conserve all sorts of energy and maintain position wherever they want. Not us, though… you don’t see us happily floating about just for fun… it’s exhausting. And this, my friend, is why you see us holding on to whatever we can sink our teeth into. We hold on, conserve our energy, and pretty much wait for the batteries to recharge for our next short swim.
Anyway, you can imagine how much energy a young Lamprey had to use to make it to the surface. My chest felt like it was burning from the inside, but I suppose it was adrenaline that kept me going. The world turned gray around me, and to this day, I cannot remember any thoughts that may have gone through my mind during my escape. My body and mind were 100% on flight mode and there was no stopping me.
My escape was like one of those dreams. You ever had a dream where you’re, in your case, running away from something chasing you, and no matter how fast you run, it just seems like you’re stuck in place, running in slow motion? It’s almost like you’re covered in some sort of adhesive holding you down.
I shouldn’t have been able to swim that far, but I did. I swam for what felt like miles while the rod thing chased me. I outswam it, and you wouldn’t believe me when I say this… since then… I’ve never had to swim that much. I just latch on to a bigger fish and make it my personal Uber.
Well… it’s been great chattin’ with you, Ed, but I think the best way to share my experience with you is to just show you myself. Reach on out and touch the glass and I’ll show you.”
About the Author
Heriverto “Eddy” Colado is a Field Technician intern with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Conservation Office in Vancouver, Washington, through the Mt. Adams Institute. A former military diesel technician and small boat operator, Eddy has seamlessly transitioned into supporting biologists focused on Bull Trout, lampreys, and salmonids. From backpacking into remote streams to conducting research on climate change’s effects on lamprey development, Eddy’s work combines technical skill, teamwork, and a newfound connection to nature. His passion for the mission of Fish & Wildlife and his knack for blending creativity with research make his contributions truly stand out.
An Interview with Eddy Colado
So Eddy? What do you do around here? Can you fill our readers in on your VetsWork internship?
EC: As a Mt. Adams Institute intern, I fill the role of a Field Technician for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office of Vancouver, Washington. I predominately work alongside and support USFWS biologists whose main focus is on Bull Trout, Lamprey and various Salmonoid species. With a background as a military diesel technician and small boat operator, it was a bit intimidating coming to work for a group of biologists. The group quickly took me under their wing and enthusiastically began to teach me about their research projects, the species they work with and most importantly, the purpose for their work. To prepare me for the busy summer season operations, I was sent to Stockton, CA to complete the USFWS Advanced Motorboat Operator Certification Course, as well as their Electroshocking Safety Course. Additionally, I attended a Lamprey educational workshop to learn how to identify the species I’d be working with.
At this site, a day in the life of a Field Technician can vary from small engine maintenance, lab work, collecting fish samples and recording data, to backpacking into a canyon to reach water streams that aren’t easily accessible for electroshocking fish. I’ve so far had the opportunity to work alongside USFWS biologists to assist with various projects involving the research of climate change effects on Lamprey development at Bonneville Dam Lab, vitamin A and vitamin D effects on Chinook Salmon’s skeletal systems at Spring Creek Hatchery and river dredging effects on Lamprey at Willard National Hatchery. The job never gets old as we work with the many hatcheries along the Columbia River Gorge and other tributaries in neighboring states, which I’ll soon be traveling to.
The feeling of driving a boat, backpacking through the forest with heavy gear, and riding in a vehicle with my team after a hard day’s work certainly reminds me of my Expeditionary Combat days and it feels like home. Fish & Wildlife’s positive work environment and Mt. Adams’ infectious enthusiasm and steadfast support has made this the most rewarding experience. It has 100% validated my military skills in the civilian world, and most importantly, it has helped me find a new mission and connection to nature and self. I look forward to starting and completing the many scheduled projects yet to come during my internship with the Columbia River Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office of Vancouver, Washington.
What inspired you to write this piece on the Pacific Lamprey?
EC: I got into special events and training videography with US Navy in 2012. I found that video splicing and telling a story came natural to me, so I began capturing events such as weddings, family reunions, birthdays, or other personal special events. Capturing emotions, memories and being able to recall it like it happened hours ago and sharing it through a video became a passion of mine. I was helping our biologists in backpack electroshocking in search of Pacific Lamprey at the Wind River early November. These Lamprey were to replace the ones at the Bonneville Lab for our climate change studies after their release that same week. As we shocked and watched them all scatter around, I couldn’t help but think that we were the aliens to them. We were shocking them and temporarily putting them to sleep to identify them and collect other data such as length and weight. They wake up with a florescent marking on their body not remembering what happened to them. Some fish wake up with a tracking tag inside them>
And so I began thinking this would be a great plot for a Pixar or Disney movie: One day a fish is abducted, wakes up with a tag, tells his story of abduction to his friends but no one believes him and so the conspiracy theories start. They all just hear the stories and laugh until one day it happens to them and so the journey of Ayrii the Lamprey starts in search for his lost friend/crush Lacey who did in fact get captured by the Apex Predator and how they reconnected.
The music and black and white pictures in your video give it an otherworldly scifi feel, was that intentional? What inspired you to do that?
EC: The Black and white effect was intentional to portray the point of view and Ayrii the Lamprey’s state of mind during his escape and his mind’s active flight/flight mode. It depicts the terrifying encounter with the being above, The Apex Predator. I don’t think anyone gets away without experiencing some sort of trauma in their lives. From my many years of experience I can say that most of my personal encounters with trauma as well as other military members and civilians have described their experiences close to Ayrii the Lampreys’. Sometimes traumatic events aren’t so traumatic but we lack the emotional skills and experience to properly compartmentalize the memory.
It’s really incredible work you’ve done! Thanks so much for your time with us Eddy.
EC: Thanks so much, it truly has been an honor and a privilege working with Mt. Adams and USFWS. Your passion for your work and outlook in life is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you all for your service.
Thanks for being a part of MAI Eddy! You’ve been a real light in our lives this year!
Can’t get enough of the Pacific Lamprey?
Check out Sense of Place Season lamprey special: Bloodsucker with Ralph Lampman, of Yakama Nation Fisheries Pacific Lamprey Project to learn more about the history, cultural importance, and unique biology of these fascinating creatures. As well as lamprey restoration efforts and research that is being implemented by Yakama Nation Fisheries.
About the Speaker
Ralph Lampman was born in San Francisco and moved to Tokyo, Japan, along with his mother when he was seven. After finishing high school in Japan, he returned to the U.S. to attend college in southern Oregon and northern California. Ralph worked as a U.S. Forest Service fish biologist on the Central Oregon Coast. He then returned to school to work on a Pacific Lamprey thesis project (along the North Umpqua River / Winchester Dam). Following his thesis project, Ralph began his current position working for the Yakama Nation Fisheries Pacific Lamprey Project (Toppenish, WA) and is currently in his 11th year with the project.