DOUGLAS ISLAND PINK AND CHUM

project date: 1996 | by peter reedijk

The wild salmon stock of Alaska's oceans are supported by some of the most successful hatcheries in the world - the largest of which is located in Juneau. Although this is a serious business, and not exactly a romantic one, the hatchery has become a popular tour bus destination.

As salmon fight their way past the gigantic hulls of cruise ships packed into the Juneau harbor, tourists press their noses to the glass to see hatchery workers extract eggs and milt from the returning salmon. The hatchery provides a safe environment for eggs to hatch and young do not have to fight for survival. When the fish are older, they are released back into the wild.

Sea Reach designed and fabricated a series of indoor and outdoor exhibits here to explain the hatchery process.