Salmon hatch in rivers then journey to the sea, where they spend most of their adult lives. When mature, they leave the sea and work their way back up to their spawning ground. The smell of the water flowing into the ocean from the river or stream helps them to find their way. Near the end of their lifecycle, the surviving adults spawn in the streams where they hatched years before. Fish that make this journey from salt to fresh water to spawn are called anadromous.
