© Getty Images

Arctic tern -

The tiny, lightweight Arctic tern holds the record for the longest migration trip in all of the animal kingdom. In fact, their record would be just about impossible to beat, seeing as they circumnavigate the entire globe from one Arctic pole to the other, twice a year, covering no less than 44,000 miles (71,000 km) each year.

© Shutterstock

Arctic tern -

After breeding and hatching during the summertime, Arctic terns flee the oppressive Arctic winter and travel the Western European and African coastlines down to Antarctica, which sees nearly 24 hours of sunlight in the winter months, while the Arctic Circle is encased in nearly 24 hours of darkness.

© Shutterstock

Sooty shearwater -

The sooty shearwater comes in close second with an annual distance of 40,000 miles (64,000 km). These birds usually nest on the wild coasts of New Zealand and can travel as far north as the Bering Sea.

© Shutterstock

Bar-tailed godwit -

While the bar-tailed godwit doesn't cover as much distance as some of its other avian counterparts, its migration journey is still quite impressive. This bird travels around 18,500 miles (nearly 30,000 km) a year, and also holds the record for the longest uninterrupted flight time. Bar-tailed godwits can fly for nine days without resting to eat or rehydrate.

© Shutterstock

Gray whale -

Unlike the destination-focused travelers of the sky, some aquatic animals, like the gray whale, simply wander all their life, going wherever the search for food and mating grounds lead them. The average gray whale can cover 14,000 miles (22,500 km) in a single year.

© Shutterstock

Humpback whale -

The humpback whale follows a more disciplined schedule, heading to tropical waters to breed and give birth, before heading back to colder waters for the rest of the year. Although these aquatic behemoths cover over 13,600 miles (22,000 km) in a year, they move at an average speed of around one mile (1.6 km) an hour.

© Shutterstock

Northern elephant seal -

Northern elephant seals are the only mammals on earth that follow a biannual migration pattern, taking them from their breeding grounds around Southern California to their feeding grounds in and around Alaska. Some elephant seals have been known to travel 13,000 miles (21,000 km) in a single year.

© Shutterstock

Leatherback turtle -

As far as turtles go, leatherback sea turtles are by far the most well traveled. Traveling from the western coast of North America across the Pacific to Indonesia, these deep sea turtles can cover as many as 10,000 miles (16,000 km) a year.

© Shutterstock

Adélie penguin -

Adélie penguins, the small flightless birds who inhabit the Arctic ice caps, spend their days chasing the sun and the warmest areas of their region. Researchers and scientists have studied these penguins waddling more than 11,000 miles (over 17,500 km) per year.

© Shutterstock

Great white shark -

The great white shark, the famously feared predator of the deep seas, also seems to have been bitten by the travel bug. Researchers have observed these sharks traveling from the coast of Africa to Australia and back again in a single year, covering nearly 7,000 miles (11,000 km).

© Shutterstock

Globe skimmer -

The globe skimmer dragonfly, also known as the wandering glider, has one of the lengthiest migration patterns of any known insect. They have been observed traveling around 10,000 miles (16,000 km) a year.

© Shutterstock

Loggerhead sea turtle -

The beautiful loggerhead sea turtle is one of the ocean's most accomplished travelers. One of the most common species of sea turtles, found on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States, as well as in the Indian Ocean, loggerheads can travel more than 7,500 miles (12,000 km) in a year.

© Shutterstock

Loggerhead sea turtle -

What is arguably even more impressive than the scope of the loggerhead's travels is its ability to remember exactly where it has laid its eggs around the world. Loggerhead mothers routinely return to nesting places, traveling thousands of miles with pinpoint precision.

© Shutterstock

Monarch butterfly -

One of the most famous and breathtaking migrations in the world is that of the North American monarch butterfly. Every year, these large butterflies, with their distinct black, orange, and white markings travel more than 3,000 miles (nearly 5,000 km).

© Shutterstock

Monarch butterfly -

Every fall, from as far up north as Canada, hordes of tens of thousands of monarch butterflies begin their pilgrimage south to the center of Mexico. It is truly a sight to behold when the massive butterfly colonies land to rest, covering whole swaths of grass and plants in their brilliantly bright patterns.

© Shutterstock

Caribou -

The unsuspecting caribou, who inhabit the cold lands near and inside the Arctic, hold the distinction of making the longest pilgrimage of any land animal in the world. These animals do their best to follow the warmth of the sun, hoping it'll lead to healthier and more abundant grasslands for grazing, and can travel up to 2,000 miles (over 3,000 km) a year.

© Shutterstock

Wildebeest -

While the caribou may lead the longest journey on land, one of the largest migrations on earth is the Great Wildebeest Migration of Africa. More than 1.2 million wildebeest travel over 600 miles (1,000 km) from southern Tanzania, moving through the Serengeti into Kenya.

© Shutterstock

Zebra -

Zebras also often join their wildebeest neighbors in their massive migration, although they only travel about half the distance. Both species benefit from trekking this leg of the journey together, as they help each other keep watch for predators.

© Shutterstock

Saiga antelope -

The saiga antelope, who call Mongolia their home, make annual journeys to avoid the harsh winters of Northern Europe. Groups of sometimes a thousand can travel over 600 miles (1,000 km) a year.

© Shutterstock

Salmon -

Salmon make one of the most famous migrations in the world, sometimes called the Great Salmon Run. Every year, groups of salmon in the millions return from the Pacific Ocean to their resting places upstream.

© Shutterstock

Salmon -

Salmon have a sort of sixth sense that connects them to the magnetic field of the earth, which helps them remember exactly where they were born. Salmon can swim around 1,850 miles (3,000 km) upstream to their birthplace, where they lay their own eggs and die shortly afterwards.

© Shutterstock

Straw-colored fruit bat -

The single largest mammal migration on earth is that of the straw-colored fruit bat, native to Zambia in southeastern Africa. Every fall, around 10 million of these fruit bats travel over 2,000 miles (3,000 km).

© Shutterstock

Pacific bluefin tuna -

One of the fastest fish in the ocean, some tuna are able to swim at speeds of over 40 miles (70 km) per hour. This impressive speed comes in handy when the fish make their pilgrimage of around 3,000 miles (5,000 km) from their birthplaces near Japan all the way to the coasts of California.

© Shutterstock

Pied wheatear -

The pied wheatear, though fairly small in size, is able to cover great distances. While most hail from the steppes of Central Asia, they have been known to travel as far as Southern India and Northern Africa during the wintertime.

© Shutterstock

Semipalmated sandpiper -

The North American semipalmated sandpiper travels great distances to escape the harsh winters of Maine and Vermont. After a journey of around 2,500 miles (4,000 km), the birds arrive in their winter homes along the coasts of South America.

© Shutterstock

Zooplankton -

Zooplankton, a group of tiny seafaring creatures that include krill, travel massive distances every day, relative to their minuscule size. In search of food, these tiny organisms travel up to 3,000 feet (914 m) on a daily basis.

© Shutterstock

Zooplankton -

In contrast to most other migrating creatures, zooplankton don't travel across the ocean in any given direction. Instead, they travel up and down from lower to higher depths of the ocean. This process is called "diel vertical migration." Jellyfish and some types of shrimp have also been observed migrating in this fashion.

© Shutterstock

Ruby-throated hummingbird -

A common and beloved site in the Southeastern United States, the ruby-throated hummingbird goes on a journey that seems quite daunting, given its size. Every autumn, this hummingbird retreats south to Mexico on a non-stop 500-mile (800-km) flight.

© Shutterstock

Emperor penguins -

Emperor penguins, some of the only residents on the vast and barren continent of Antarctica, are known for their treacherous migrations inland, taken to lay their eggs and raise their young. After their 100-mile (160-km) journey, the penguins must brave the most dangerous winter storms in the world in order to protect their eggs.

Sources: (Ranker) (Smithsonian Magazine) (Earth.com)

See also: How to survive animal attacks

© Shutterstock