Water plays a major role in Seattle.  The downtown area is located in a small strip of land between Puget Sound (left) and freshwater Lake Washington (right).  Many people commute to work in the city by ferry from islands in Puget Sound or from residential island across the bridges that span Lake Washington.  The lake and the ocean are connected by a ship canal near the top of this map.

Seattle residents not only live across the water, some live on the water.  Houseboats like these (featured in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle") are among the most trendy housing in this very hip city.

Boats traveling from the freshwater lake to Puget Sound must use a lock to drop the 15 feet to sea level.  Along side the locks are fish ladders where you can watch through underwaer windows and see salmon swimming upstream to Lake Washington to spawn.

People are not the only ones watching the salmon near the fish ladder.  Harbor seals are always present at the mouth of the ship canal to feast on the migrating salmon.