From Ben – August 7th
During our second port stop in Juneau, we had a chance to visit the Douglas Island Pink and Chum (DIPAC) Salmon Hatchery. The goal of the non-profit hatchery is to raise and release millions of salmon into the Alaskan waters. Salmon are an incredibly important part of Alaska’s economy and culture, and the Hatchery was created in 1976 by the residents of Juneau in response to the increasing depletion of the salmon resources.
DIPAC currently incubates, rears, and releases four species of Pacific salmon: chum, chinook, coho, and sockeye. In all, the hatchery raises more than 130 million salmon each year, and provides an opportunity for visitors to see the operations of an active hatchery.
During the summer months, thousands of adult salmon, who were born here years earlier and have spent their lives living in open waters as far as Japan, return here on their own when they are ready to have their babies. They make their way up the salmon ladder, designed intentionally challenging to encourage survival of the fittest.
After they’ve made it through the tough uphill climb, they are collected in large ponds, where they will spend their final days before their babies are spawned.
Their eggs and sperm are collected, fertilized, and hatched. The baby salmon are carefully fed and raised in giant indoor tanks, specific to the salmon’s various ages, until they are 2-3 years old.
Once they are old enough, they are moved into outdoor holding ponds, where they spend a few months getting adjusted to the saltwater, and where they will magically “imprint” on the exact conditions of the water. It’s this incredible imprinting that will allow them to return to this exact location years later to have their babies.
After a few months in the outdoor tanks, they are released into the open waters. Most do not return, but become part of Alaska’s incredible salmon fishing economy. Roughly 1% will eventually return to the Hatchery to have their babies, continuing this amazing cycle of salmon life.
The visitor center also of course features a wonderful gift shop, plenty of salmon souvenirs, a beautiful aquarium, and some really awesome touch-tanks.
The Hatchery was a really cool place for adults and kids alike, and was one of the most interesting places we enjoyed on this trip!
Fendels in Alaska 