What Happens to Salmon After they Swim Upstream?

And other shocking facts about these incredible, enduring fish

This salmon did not get to swim upstream. Instead, it will become an overpriced entree at a restaurant. Tragedy. Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

It’s a classic wildlife scene, showing the strength and brutality of nature: a salmon swims through a rushing stream, fighting its way against the current to ascend, leaping out of the water to climb over obstacles — only to be snagged by a waiting bear who is hungry for a meal.

Salmon are one of the most well-known examples of anadromous fish — that is, fish that migrate from the sea to rivers in order to spawn. Every year, both bears and fisherman alike head out to rivers to snag some of the many silvery fish that hurl themselves against the current with single-minded purpose.

But why do salmon insist on swimming upstream to spawn? Why not simply lay their eggs in the ocean?

And what happens to the salmon who make it past the bears, the eagles, the fishermen? What do they do once they get upstream?

It’s an incredible story of the determination that nature has created in these fish. Let’s take a look.

The Breeding of Salmon

The lifecycle of a salmon includes several different stages, each characterized by living in a different location. (It’s a lot like how you grew up in your parents’ house…