Chinook Salmon Release 2024
Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA, partners with Coleman Fish Hatchery every year to raise and release chinook salmon to the Sacramento River as a part of the Head Start Program. This is one of the many ways Turtle Bay takes active part in conservation efforts for local wildlife.
The salmon fry in this release came from the spawn of the fall run of 2023. The Sacramento River is unique because all four seasons of salmon hatch here, and eventually return to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, the winter and fall run salmon have been in decline in recent years due to human impact.
Salmon use their incredible sense of smell, and the magnetic field of the Earth, to find their way back to where they hatched. They are a crucial part of any ecosystem because their life cycle provides essential nutrients to plants and animals. When out to sea, they are are predated by a wide range of sea-life, and when they return home, they provide an excellent food source to local animals.
Watch our video above to learn more about the Chinook Salmon, and how Turtle Bay Exploration Park works to conserve their population.