The rainfall that hits the surface drops underground almost immediately. Pete and the Tongass Cave Project have found hundreds of caves on the Tongass. He thinks there are hundreds more. Yeah, you do get some really interesting formations in our caves here. We've got formations around here that form underwater, that aren't seen anywhere else in the world, actually.
Caves can also protect spawning salmon from brown bear and other predators.
While some salmon swim through the caves to spawn in waterways beyond, others spawn in the safety of the caves themselves. Yet, for the salmon who do end up in the jaws of bears, it's hardly the end of the story. Scientists are just beginning to realize that a significant amount of nutrients flow from ocean waters to conifer needles and back again via salmon. Call it the salmon cycle. Writer Richard Nelson.