Every year, across skies, land, and sea, countless animals embark on some of nature’s most astonishing journeys. From the tiny monarch butterfly fluttering vast distances to Mexico, to massive grey whales swimming from polar seas to tropical bays, creatures across the animal kingdom migrate out of instinctive need.
These seasonal voyages are strategic, purposeful, and often essential for survival. For centuries, scientists and storytellers alike have marveled at how creatures so different in form and habitat somehow know when and where to go. But recent advances in biology, tracking technology, and climate science have begun to unlock the secrets of migration.
Why do so many animals take on these gargantuan treks? And how do they simply know where to go? Click through this gallery to find out.