Why do fish jump?

On longer paddles you have time to ponder, why do salmon jump?  What is easier to figure out is how they contribute to this amazing ecosystem.  The book, Salmon in the Trees by Amy Gulic tells it all right there in the title.  The unique life cycle of salmon drives the ecology of this place.  As luck would have it, our timing is in between salmon runs.... late for spring steelhead and too early for the summer sockeye.  Even during this pause when the fish aren't running, here in Alecks Creek estuary is all the evidence you need.  Huge thriving forest, flourishing and diverse understory, buzzing insects, eagle and bear waiting to play their parts.  You can feel anticipation, the frenzy of life reaching its peak of seasonal productivity.  We can feel the black bear watching us from the forest edge.