Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.): Pacific salmon, including Chinook and Sockeye, hatch in freshwater streams, migrate to the ocean to mature, then return to their natal rivers to spawn and die—a journey of hundreds to thousands of miles. They use olfactory memory to find their exact birth stream, leaping waterfalls and dodging predators. Their homing precision is unmatched in the animal world. Upon spawning, their bodies nourish riparian ecosystems, feeding bears, eagles, and trees. Dams, pollution, and warming waters now obstruct their routes and reduce survival. This anadromous life cycle sustains biodiversity and Indigenous fisheries. The salmon’s determination to return home represents one of nature’s most poignant and ecologically vital migrations.
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