Salmon Life

by Nora Godfrey, 6th grade, Ashland Middle School

It had been twelve weeks when the little alevins opened their eyes. They saw their brothers and sisters glistening in the sun light of the cool streambed. As they developed into bigger alevins they were ready to come out of their eggs. The alevins swam around with yolk sacs on their bellies which had delicious treats until they are ready to feed themselves.

Developed alevins, now called fry, were swimming around when all of a sudden saw a huge black shadow flying above the creek! They could feel the vibration as the water went “SPLASH!” A beak came swooping into the water. It snatched 100 fry!

Fry grew into smolts and were able to catch their own food like insects. Smolts could smell the fresh cool water. By the time the smolts became adult salmon it was time for them to leave the creek. After floating down the creek, one of the salmon, Sally, was grabbed out of the water by a bear. She slapped the bear with her tail and squirmed braking free from the bear’s grip; falling back into the water and sped away.

After a couple of days, the creek started to speed up. The salmon looked forward and saw a waterfall. Before Sally knew it she was in the air! “Splash” she was finally back in the water. Something was different, Sally could taste the water it was salty now. She had reached the ocean! The group of salmon stayed in the ocean for about five years. After awhile they knew it was time to go back to the creek and spawn.

Sally swam coming to a waterfall. Traveling up the waterfall, gathering all her energy, she jumped, again and again. On the sixth jump, having enough energy to try one last time, her tail splashing and jumping high into the air. Sally made it!

It took a couple weeks of fighting against the current to make it home. Laying her eggs in the gravel of the streambed, hoping they would be safe from predators, she could hold on no longer. Sally closed her eyes for the last time and let the stream take her.