Valdez

Valdez (population ~4,000) sits at the head of Prince William Sound, surrounded by the Chugach Mountains. It is the northernmost year-round ice-free port in North America. That is why it is the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Its marine terminal is vital for oil export. Unfortunately, it is also known for the Exxon Valdez tanker oil spill in 1989 in Prince William Sound, which had major ecological impact and led to a series of and regulatory changes.

Chugach Mountains

Trans-Alaska Pipeline Monument

Bald eagle

Alaskan rabbit

The hatchery is licensed to incubate up to 270 million pink salmon eggs and 2 million coho salmon eggs per year.
It releases about 250 million pink salmon fry and 1.8 million coho salmon smolts annually.

 
Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals