Coho salmon eggs

With the generous help of Washington Fish and Wildlife I had a chance to photograph live coho salmon eggs. The eggs are transparent and the developing fish can be seen within. At this stage, 10 weeks along after spawning, most of the egg is taken by the nutrient sac, or yolk, that the young fish feeds upon.







Of course, these eggs are tiny. It is amazing that such a small egg, deposited in the cold water of a northwest river, will grow into a hardy coho salmon that will eventually make it out to the open ocean. And then years later fight its way back up stream to start the process over again. It is an astonishing feat.