T
he Pacific salmon migration illustrates
the circle of life like no other. The
salmon are born in freshwater, migrate to
the ocean, and return to the same streams
where they were born to lay their eggs.
It's a brutal journey upstream and only a
small percentage of salmon live to see the
spawning grounds. The males that survive
the journey are haggard because they don't
eat after they leave saltwater and the
females are bloated with a pound or more
of eggs.
The freshwater streams found along
Oregon's Columbia and Willamette Rivers
will see the salmon return between March
and June. Salmon spawning in Alaska can
generally be seen between May and August.
The specific timing is unique for each river
and for each species. Check out the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game website for
more information.
Credit: Sekar B/ Shutterstock
salmon
Gray Whales
A
gray whale breaches off the coast
of Long Beach, California as it
travels south to breeding grounds in
Baja California.
The gray whale is a familiar site along
North America's Pacific Coast. Its
10,000- to 14,000-mile round trip is
among the longest migrations in the
mammalian world. The spring journey
from Baja California, Mexico, to the rich
feeding grounds of the Arctic's Bering
and Chukchi seas takes two to three
months. In the north, a smorgasbord of
amphipods awaits, and the whales feed
for up to 20 hours a day.
During the trip north, which begins
in April, mothers and calves tend to
remain quite close to shore where they
are often spotted rising to breathe.
Usually March is a banner month for
these whales, and they can be spotted
all along their trip up the coast.
Nick Ut via Getty Images
