Why Do Salmon Go Up Stream To Spawn?

There are many things done by creatures to produce and protect their young one. It seems quite miraculous to us. It is rather amazing the way birds built their rests. It is equally interesting the way the animals protect their young from enemy attacks.

The instinct that takes the Salmon on the long upstream trip must be there. It is the best way a new Salmon can be born and grown. All the Salmon do not go to the headquarters of a stream to spawn. There are many to stay quite to the lower reaches of the river. King Salmon is the variety that travels as much as 5000 kilometers from the sea, on the upstream of the river. On contrary the pink kind travels just a few kilometers away from the salt water to spawn.

When the Salmon enter fresh water, they are in fine condition, healthy, fat and strong. On reaching fresh water they stop feeding and wear themselves out trying to reach the place where they want to go and deposit their eggs.

Many rivers have rapids and falls and rocks. The Salmon are very thin and straggly looking by the time they have spawned. The Pacific Salmon die after spawning without regard to its being in any state of health.

When the fish reach the spawning spot which is usually the location where they were hatched, the female digs a hole in the grand or sand with her body or tail or fins, the eggs are deposited in this “nest” and fertilized by the male. The female covers the eggs.

Now their role is finished and Salmon appear to lose interest in life and die soon after. The life begins for the newly hatched eggs and may be about 60 days later.

The young Salmon remain in fresh water for a few months or a year, then descend the stream and salt enter water and thus the cycle begins all over again.