Spotted Gar in Canada: Protecting One of Our Most Ancient Fish Species

We’ve wrapped up the second and final year of in-the-field production of our feature-length documentary Giigoonh – The Last Quiet Waters about the Spotted Gar in Canada.

The Spotted Gar is one of Canada’s most ancient and remarkable freshwater fish, a living link to a distant past that has survived largely unchanged for millions of years. Recognizable by its elongated snout, armour-like scales, and distinctive pattern of dark spots, the species thrives in warm, vegetated wetlands and shallow bays where it ambushes prey with remarkable precision. Today in Canada, the massive loss of coastal wetlands means the Spotted Gar is found only in a handful of locations along Lake Erie. Its future continues to be at risk due to habitat loss, wetland degradation, and declining water quality. Its continued survival depends on the protection and restoration of the healthy coastal wetlands that support not only this unique fish, but countless other species that share its fragile ecosystem.

Our filming and storytelling work would have been possible without the incredible support and collaboration with St. Clair Region Conservation Authority and Craig Paterson, St. Clair Conservation Foundation, and the amazing Mandrak Lab at the University of Toronto and Nick Mandrak and Dominique Rumball and Xavi Racero.

All those hours spent filming in boats not only made for great stories, but also great conversations, laughs, and a mutual feeling that we all became fast friends during this journey.