Salmon grow much faster in the sea than in the river. Towards the end of the first winter in the sea, we call the salmon adult. Salmon can be in the sea from one to five years. Then it returns to the river where it was born.

The ocean is vast, and we still have many questions about how salmon live there. But thanks to talented researchers, we have recently gained a lot of new knowledge about salmon in the ocean. Among other things, the researchers have attached special tags to salmon. These tags tell us where the salmon swims, what temperatures it stays in, and how deep it swims and dives. We now know that salmon stay closer to the surface in summer, autumn and spring than in winter. We also know that they can take deep dives. Dives as deep as 900 meters have been recorded.

While in the ocean, salmon migrate further than we previously thought, in fact all the way to Greenland and Svalbard. Salmon like cold water, especially where cold water from the Arctic Ocean meets warmer water from the Atlantic Ocean. That's where there's plenty of food. For long periods, salmon swim around in water that's colder than 5 degrees.

We know that the migration route varies from salmon to salmon, and that salmon from different parts of the country go to different areas of the ocean. With as many wild salmon populations as we have in Norway, there is still a lot we do not know. Therefore, it is important to have new knowledge about the salmon in the ocean, so that we can take the best possible care of them. Because now there are fewer salmon that survive their stay in the ocean than before.

The journey home

The length of time salmon are in the ocean before they swim back to their river to spawn varies. Some return home after just one year, while others stay in the ocean for up to five years before returning home.

‍