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The annual run of baby eels into Rockport’s Mill Brook has ended, and a Rockport woman is $875 richer.

 

Eric Hutchins, "Master Eel Counter" and NOAA Marine Biologist, announced a high number (879) of baby eels have entered Rockport's Mill Pond during the annual run, from April 1 to October 14.

 

For the past 13 years Hutchins has led a group of volunteers to open the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries trap each day while the eels are migrating upstream, count the eels, and then set them free in the Mill Pond.

 

Donna Mills of Rockport won the annual raffle. She’ll receive a check for $875.00, and the same amount will go to the wildlife fund.

 

Hutchins noted that “We had excellent volunteer coverage this year for counting and only missed a few days....and those eels were assumed to simply have been counted on the next day still swimming around in the trap. In August and early September, the water level was low so only a few eels could make it up to the eel ladder.” Eric was not eligible to take part in the contest, the Master Eel Counter stated.

 

Background on the eels: Adult eels living in fresh water spots up and down the East Coast, can reach the length of 24 inches.  At some point, instinct tells them to leave, say, Mill Pond and head out to the Atlantic Ocean. Then they swim over 1000 miles to the Sargasso Sea, where four ocean currents converge in a beautiful blue spot 600 miles wide and 2000 miles long. It’s just east of Bermuda. On the way, the adult eels develop sex organs, (which they never had before) have millions of babies and die. The babies get caught up in the ocean currents and some head for New England, and some of those arrive at Front Beach and begin the slow swim up Mill Brook, up the eel ladder on the dam, and some get into the eel trap, where they are counted, and then start to live in the Pond.

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If another fish, turtle or shorebird doesn’t eat them, they can grow to 18 to 24 inches, and at some point, maybe after 20 years, they get an urging to go back to the Sargasso Sea.

 

Chairwoman Hallowell says “Thanks to all who took part in the eel run.