SeasonMap

Wildlife season, month by month around the world

The wildebeest crossing, the cranes, the monarchs, the pups on the beach, the bears at the river — timed by the rains and the food.

63 destinations on SeasonMap, ranked within each month by the comfort score — because the point is not only where the season is on, but whether the weather is worth the trip while it is.

← All seasons · The world's calendar

When it is on

Number of destinations with wildlife season on in that month. Windows move a little each year.

Wildlife season in January

  1. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoMonarch butterfly season · 10 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The overwintering colonies at El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sit two to three hours east of the city.92climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesManatee season at Big Bend · 1 Nov – 15 AprManatees crowd into the warm outflow of the Big Bend power station when the bay drops below about twenty degrees, and the free viewing centre beside it opens for exactly those dates.84climate
  3. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaWildebeest calving · 15 Jan – 15 Mar (usually)Close to half a million calves drop in a three-week burst on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, and every predator in the ecosystem is there for it.75climate
  4. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.73climate
  5. 🇺🇸 Monterey, United StatesMonarchs at Pacific Grove · 20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)Monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus at the Pacific Grove sanctuary from late October to about the start of March, peaking around the turn of the year.72climate
  6. Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsFur seal pupping · 15 Nov – 15 Jan (usually)Antarctic fur seals take over every workable beach to breed, and the bulls hold territory aggressively enough that landings get moved or dropped.72climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesElephant seals at Piedras Blancas · 1 Dec – 31 May (usually)Thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at the south end of the coast road, pupping in January and moulting into spring.68climate
  8. 🇳🇦 Etosha National Park, NamibiaCalving and the zebra move · 15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)Zebra and springbok drop their young as the new grass comes up, the plains game shifts west, and the predators go with them.65climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, California, United StatesMonarch butterflies · 15 Oct – 15 Feb (usually)Tens of thousands of monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges from mid-October, hanging in a shape that looks like dead leaves until the sun hits them.64climate
  10. West Island, Cocos (Keeling) IslandsReef fish spawning season · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)The islands' one dive operator times trips to the reef's summer breeding activity: giant triggerfish nesting at Canyons and bump-head parrotfish gathering to spawn at Cologne Gardens, both easiest to see across December to February.64climate
  11. Flying Fish Cove, Christmas IslandRed crab migration · 15 Oct – 15 Jan (usually)Millions of crabs leave the forest with the first rain and walk to the sea, and the cove is one of the easiest places to stand in the middle of it.57climate
  12. 🇹🇿 Ngorongoro, TanzaniaCalving on the Ndutu plains · 1 Jan – 15 Mar (usually)The herds drop most of their calves on the short-grass plains at Ndutu, in the conservation area's western corner, and the predators concentrate on them.54climate
  13. 🇨🇱 Torres del Paine, ChileGuanaco birthing · 15 Nov – 10 Jan (usually)Chulengos drop in the open country on the eastern side from late November, which is also why the pumas are working that ground in daylight.50climate
  14. 🇯🇵 Nagano, JapanSnow monkeys in the hot spring · 15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The macaques at Jigokudani sit in the pool all year, but the winter version with snow on their heads is the one people come for.47climate
  15. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesWinter wolves in the Lamar · 20 Dec – 10 Mar (usually)The road from Gardiner through to Cooke City is the only one ploughed all winter, and the Lamar Valley in the snow is where the wolf watchers set their scopes at first light.31climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Grand Teton National Park, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Thousands of elk come down out of the high country to winter on the flats north of Jackson, and horse-drawn sleighs take people out among them.30climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Jackson, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually)Several thousand elk drop out of the high country onto the flats north of town for the winter, and horse-drawn sleighs run out among them from mid-December until the herd leaves in early April.29climate

What's on around the world in January →

Wildlife season in February

  1. 🇮🇳 Munnar, IndiaEravikulam calving closure · 1 Feb – 31 Mar (usually)The national park above the town shuts for the Nilgiri tahr calving season, which takes the area's main draw out of an itinerary for about two months.94climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesManatee season at Big Bend · 1 Nov – 15 AprManatees crowd into the warm outflow of the Big Bend power station when the bay drops below about twenty degrees, and the free viewing centre beside it opens for exactly those dates.90climate
  3. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoMonarch butterfly season · 10 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The overwintering colonies at El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sit two to three hours east of the city.90climate
  4. Gibraltar, GibraltarSpring raptor migration · 15 Feb – 31 May (usually)The northbound crossing is longer and thinner than the autumn one: black kites from late winter, then short-toed and booted eagles gaining height over the Rock before heading inland.84climate
  5. 🇳🇵 Chitwan, NepalWildlife viewing on short grass · 1 Feb – 15 Apr (usually)With the tall grass cut and the waterholes shrinking, rhino and deer are visible across the floodplain instead of hidden in it.81climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Monterey, United StatesMonarchs at Pacific Grove · 20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)Monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus at the Pacific Grove sanctuary from late October to about the start of March, peaking around the turn of the year.77climate
  7. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaWildebeest calving · 15 Jan – 15 Mar (usually)Close to half a million calves drop in a three-week burst on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, and every predator in the ecosystem is there for it.76climate
  8. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesElephant seals at Piedras Blancas · 1 Dec – 31 May (usually)Thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at the south end of the coast road, pupping in January and moulting into spring.75climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, California, United StatesMonarch butterflies · 15 Oct – 15 Feb (usually)Tens of thousands of monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges from mid-October, hanging in a shape that looks like dead leaves until the sun hits them.73climate
  10. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.71climate
  11. 🇳🇦 Etosha National Park, NamibiaCalving and the zebra move · 15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)Zebra and springbok drop their young as the new grass comes up, the plains game shifts west, and the predators go with them.65climate
  12. Flying Fish Cove, Christmas IslandBaby crabs come ashore · 20 Nov – 20 Feb (usually)About a month after spawning the young crabs come out of the sea and head inland in a red carpet a few centimetres deep.60climate
  13. West Island, Cocos (Keeling) IslandsReef fish spawning season · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)The islands' one dive operator times trips to the reef's summer breeding activity: giant triggerfish nesting at Canyons and bump-head parrotfish gathering to spawn at Cologne Gardens, both easiest to see across December to February.60climate
  14. 🇹🇿 Ngorongoro, TanzaniaCalving on the Ndutu plains · 1 Jan – 15 Mar (usually)The herds drop most of their calves on the short-grass plains at Ndutu, in the conservation area's western corner, and the predators concentrate on them.57climate
  15. 🇯🇵 Nagano, JapanSnow monkeys in the hot spring · 15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The macaques at Jigokudani sit in the pool all year, but the winter version with snow on their heads is the one people come for.55climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Great Sand Dunes National Park, United StatesSandhill crane migration · 1 Feb – 31 MarTwenty thousand cranes stop over in the San Luis Valley on the way north, feeding in the fields by day and flying back to the wetlands at dusk.49climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Jackson, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually)Several thousand elk drop out of the high country onto the flats north of town for the winter, and horse-drawn sleighs run out among them from mid-December until the herd leaves in early April.35climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesWinter wolves in the Lamar · 20 Dec – 10 Mar (usually)The road from Gardiner through to Cooke City is the only one ploughed all winter, and the Lamar Valley in the snow is where the wolf watchers set their scopes at first light.33climate
  19. 🇺🇸 Grand Teton National Park, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Thousands of elk come down out of the high country to winter on the flats north of Jackson, and horse-drawn sleighs take people out among them.33climate

What's on around the world in February →

Wildlife season in March

  1. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.90climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesManatee season at Big Bend · 1 Nov – 15 AprManatees crowd into the warm outflow of the Big Bend power station when the bay drops below about twenty degrees, and the free viewing centre beside it opens for exactly those dates.89climate
  3. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoMonarch butterfly season · 10 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The overwintering colonies at El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sit two to three hours east of the city.88climate
  4. 🇮🇳 Munnar, IndiaEravikulam calving closure · 1 Feb – 31 Mar (usually)The national park above the town shuts for the Nilgiri tahr calving season, which takes the area's main draw out of an itinerary for about two months.87climate
  5. Gibraltar, GibraltarSpring raptor migration · 15 Feb – 31 May (usually)The northbound crossing is longer and thinner than the autumn one: black kites from late winter, then short-toed and booted eagles gaining height over the Rock before heading inland.79climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesElephant seals at Piedras Blancas · 1 Dec – 31 May (usually)Thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at the south end of the coast road, pupping in January and moulting into spring.75climate
  7. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaWildebeest calving · 15 Jan – 15 Mar (usually)Close to half a million calves drop in a three-week burst on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, and every predator in the ecosystem is there for it.73climate
  8. 🇳🇵 Chitwan, NepalWildlife viewing on short grass · 1 Feb – 15 Apr (usually)With the tall grass cut and the waterholes shrinking, rhino and deer are visible across the floodplain instead of hidden in it.69climate
  9. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.68climate
  10. 🇯🇵 Nagano, JapanSnow monkeys in the hot spring · 15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The macaques at Jigokudani sit in the pool all year, but the winter version with snow on their heads is the one people come for.66climate
  11. 🇺🇸 Great Sand Dunes National Park, United StatesSandhill crane migration · 1 Feb – 31 MarTwenty thousand cranes stop over in the San Luis Valley on the way north, feeding in the fields by day and flying back to the wetlands at dusk.59climate
  12. 🇹🇿 Ngorongoro, TanzaniaCalving on the Ndutu plains · 1 Jan – 15 Mar (usually)The herds drop most of their calves on the short-grass plains at Ndutu, in the conservation area's western corner, and the predators concentrate on them.58climate
  13. 🇺🇸 Jackson, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually)Several thousand elk drop out of the high country onto the flats north of town for the winter, and horse-drawn sleighs run out among them from mid-December until the herd leaves in early April.46climate
  14. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesWinter wolves in the Lamar · 20 Dec – 10 Mar (usually)The road from Gardiner through to Cooke City is the only one ploughed all winter, and the Lamar Valley in the snow is where the wolf watchers set their scopes at first light.44climate
  15. 🇺🇸 Grand Teton National Park, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Thousands of elk come down out of the high country to winter on the flats north of Jackson, and horse-drawn sleighs take people out among them.44climate

What's on around the world in March →

Wildlife season in April

  1. Gibraltar, GibraltarSpring raptor migration · 15 Feb – 31 May (usually)The northbound crossing is longer and thinner than the autumn one: black kites from late winter, then short-toed and booted eagles gaining height over the Rock before heading inland.90climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesElephant seals at Piedras Blancas · 1 Dec – 31 May (usually)Thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at the south end of the coast road, pupping in January and moulting into spring.87climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.84climate
  4. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.80climate
  5. 🇳🇿 Kaikōura, New ZealandSeal pups in the streams · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Fur seal pups leave the colony through the colder months and swim up the streams north of town to play in the pools under the waterfalls.80climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesManatee season at Big Bend · 1 Nov – 15 AprManatees crowd into the warm outflow of the Big Bend power station when the bay drops below about twenty degrees, and the free viewing centre beside it opens for exactly those dates.78climate
  7. 🇹🇷 Van, TurkeyPearl mullet spawning run · 15 Apr – 15 Jul (usually)Inci kefali, a fish found nowhere outside Lake Van, swim up to 24km up the rivers that feed the lake to spawn each spring, and fishing is banned lakewide for the run.74climate
  8. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.70climate
  9. 🇳🇵 Chitwan, NepalWildlife viewing on short grass · 1 Feb – 15 Apr (usually)With the tall grass cut and the waterholes shrinking, rhino and deer are visible across the floodplain instead of hidden in it.62climate
  10. 🇺🇸 Jackson, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually)Several thousand elk drop out of the high country onto the flats north of town for the winter, and horse-drawn sleighs run out among them from mid-December until the herd leaves in early April.57climate
  11. 🇨🇱 Puerto Natales, ChilePuma tracking season · 15 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Trackers work the eastern side of the park through the cold months, when the grass is short, the guanacos are bunched and the cats hunt in daylight.57climate
  12. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesSpring wildlife on the northern range · 15 Apr – 15 Jun (usually)Bison calves in the Lamar Valley from late April, bears out of the den on the lower slopes, and wolves visible against the last snow.51climate
  13. 🇨🇱 Torres del Paine, ChilePuma tracking season · 15 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)The cold months are when trackers find them: fewer visitors, snow that holds a print, and long low light at both ends of the day.37climate

What's on around the world in April →

Wildlife season in May

  1. Gibraltar, GibraltarSpring raptor migration · 15 Feb – 31 May (usually)The northbound crossing is longer and thinner than the autumn one: black kites from late winter, then short-toed and booted eagles gaining height over the Rock before heading inland.93climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesElephant seals at Piedras Blancas · 1 Dec – 31 May (usually)Thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at the south end of the coast road, pupping in January and moulting into spring.92climate
  3. 🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth, South AfricaSardine run past Algoa Bay · 15 May – 31 Jul (usually)Shoals move up the coast from late May with gannets diving on them and dolphins working from below.91climate
  4. 🇿🇦 Durban, South AfricaSardine run · 25 May – 20 Jul (usually)Cold water pushes shoals of sardines up from the Eastern Cape with gannets, dolphins and sharks behind them, most reliably in the last two weeks of June.84climate
  5. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.83climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Anchorage, United StatesSalmon runs · 15 May – 15 Sep (usually)Kings push into Ship Creek from mid-May, silvers take over from late July, and you can watch it from a car park in the middle of the city.81climate
  7. 🇹🇷 Van, TurkeyPearl mullet spawning run · 15 Apr – 15 Jul (usually)Inci kefali, a fish found nowhere outside Lake Van, swim up to 24km up the rivers that feed the lake to spawn each spring, and fishing is banned lakewide for the run.81climate
  8. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaGrumeti River crossings · 15 May – 10 Jul (usually)Before the famous Mara crossings the herds push north-west through the corridor and over the Grumeti, where the crocodiles are the largest in the park.79climate
  9. 🇧🇼 Kasane, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)As interior pans dry up, elephants pull out of the bush and concentrate along the Chobe riverfront, with herds of a thousand or more common by September and October.78climate
  10. 🇷🇴 Brașov, RomaniaBear watching season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Licensed hides in the forests around the town take bookings from spring to early autumn, through guides rather than on the day.77climate
  11. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.77climate
  12. 🇳🇿 Kaikōura, New ZealandSeal pups in the streams · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Fur seal pups leave the colony through the colder months and swim up the streams north of town to play in the pools under the waterfalls.74climate
  13. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.71climate
  14. 🇨🇦 Whistler, CanadaBlack bears on the mountain · 20 May – 15 Oct (usually)Sixty-odd bears live on the two mountains and are visible from the lifts and the golf courses from the melt onward, most obviously in spring on the new grass and in autumn on the berries.70climate
  15. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.69climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesSpring wildlife on the northern range · 15 Apr – 15 Jun (usually)Bison calves in the Lamar Valley from late April, bears out of the den on the lower slopes, and wolves visible against the last snow.61climate
  17. 🇨🇱 Puerto Natales, ChilePuma tracking season · 15 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Trackers work the eastern side of the park through the cold months, when the grass is short, the guanacos are bunched and the cats hunt in daylight.50climate
  18. 🇨🇱 Torres del Paine, ChilePuma tracking season · 15 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)The cold months are when trackers find them: fewer visitors, snow that holds a print, and long low light at both ends of the day.31climate

What's on around the world in May →

Wildlife season in June

  1. 🇿🇦 Durban, South AfricaSardine run · 25 May – 20 Jul (usually)Cold water pushes shoals of sardines up from the Eastern Cape with gannets, dolphins and sharks behind them, most reliably in the last two weeks of June.93climate
  2. 🇹🇷 Van, TurkeyPearl mullet spawning run · 15 Apr – 15 Jul (usually)Inci kefali, a fish found nowhere outside Lake Van, swim up to 24km up the rivers that feed the lake to spawn each spring, and fishing is banned lakewide for the run.93climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesSalmon at the Ballard Locks · 15 Jun – 20 Sep (usually)Sockeye run through the fish ladder in early summer, chinook and coho into September, and the viewing windows below the locks are free and busy.92climate
  4. 🇺🇸 Hyannis, United StatesWhite shark season · 1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)White sharks follow the grey seals into Cape waters from early summer and are gone by late autumn, with the tagged detections peaking in August and September.91climate
  5. 🇺🇸 Anchorage, United StatesSalmon runs · 15 May – 15 Sep (usually)Kings push into Ship Creek from mid-May, silvers take over from late July, and you can watch it from a car park in the middle of the city.90climate
  6. 🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth, South AfricaSardine run past Algoa Bay · 15 May – 31 Jul (usually)Shoals move up the coast from late May with gannets diving on them and dolphins working from below.88climate
  7. 🇷🇴 Brașov, RomaniaBear watching season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Licensed hides in the forests around the town take bookings from spring to early autumn, through guides rather than on the day.85climate
  8. 🇬🇷 Rhodes, GreeceMoths at Petaloudes · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Jersey tiger moths gather in their thousands in the shaded valley at Petaloudes for the dry months, and the site is closed to visitors outside them.83climate
  9. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaGrumeti River crossings · 15 May – 10 Jul (usually)Before the famous Mara crossings the herds push north-west through the corridor and over the Grumeti, where the crocodiles are the largest in the park.80climate
  10. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.80climate
  11. 🇧🇼 Kasane, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)As interior pans dry up, elephants pull out of the bush and concentrate along the Chobe riverfront, with herds of a thousand or more common by September and October.80climate
  12. 🇷🇺 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, RussiaSalmon run · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Six species come up the rivers through the summer, in the largest run of wild Pacific salmon anywhere.78climate
  13. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.77climate
  14. 🇨🇦 Whistler, CanadaBlack bears on the mountain · 20 May – 15 Oct (usually)Sixty-odd bears live on the two mountains and are visible from the lifts and the golf courses from the melt onward, most obviously in spring on the new grass and in autumn on the berries.74climate
  15. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.74climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Katmai National Park, United StatesJuly salmon run at the falls · 25 Jun – 5 Aug (usually)Sockeye stack up below Brooks Falls and the bears stand in the lip catching them mid-air, which is the picture everyone has seen.73climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesSpring wildlife on the northern range · 15 Apr – 15 Jun (usually)Bison calves in the Lamar Valley from late April, bears out of the den on the lower slopes, and wolves visible against the last snow.69climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.69climate
  19. 🇳🇿 Kaikōura, New ZealandSeal pups in the streams · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Fur seal pups leave the colony through the colder months and swim up the streams north of town to play in the pools under the waterfalls.68climate
  20. 🇺🇸 Lake Clark National Park, United StatesBear viewing season · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Brown bears graze the coastal sedge meadows and dig clams early in the summer, then move to the salmon streams at Silver Salmon Creek and Crescent Lake later on.63climate
  21. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.59climate
  22. 🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh, EgyptSummer schooling at Ras Mohammed · 1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually)High summer is when the snapper and barracuda gather in numbers off the point, which is the one thing here worth putting up with the heat for.54climate
  23. 🇨🇱 Puerto Natales, ChilePuma tracking season · 15 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Trackers work the eastern side of the park through the cold months, when the grass is short, the guanacos are bunched and the cats hunt in daylight.40climate
  24. 🇧🇩 Sundarbans, BangladeshThree-month breeding closure · 1 Jun – 31 AugThe forest department shuts the Bangladeshi Sundarbans to visitors and to fishing for the breeding season.37climate
  25. 🇨🇱 Torres del Paine, ChilePuma tracking season · 15 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)The cold months are when trackers find them: fewer visitors, snow that holds a print, and long low light at both ends of the day.27climate

What's on around the world in June →

Wildlife season in July

  1. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesSalmon at the Ballard Locks · 15 Jun – 20 Sep (usually)Sockeye run through the fish ladder in early summer, chinook and coho into September, and the viewing windows below the locks are free and busy.97climate
  2. 🇰🇪 Nairobi, KenyaMara migration season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds cross in from the Serengeti and the Mara River crossings run from late July into October.93climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Anchorage, United StatesSalmon runs · 15 May – 15 Sep (usually)Kings push into Ship Creek from mid-May, silvers take over from late July, and you can watch it from a car park in the middle of the city.93climate
  4. 🇿🇦 Durban, South AfricaSardine run · 25 May – 20 Jul (usually)Cold water pushes shoals of sardines up from the Eastern Cape with gannets, dolphins and sharks behind them, most reliably in the last two weeks of June.91climate
  5. 🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth, South AfricaSardine run past Algoa Bay · 15 May – 31 Jul (usually)Shoals move up the coast from late May with gannets diving on them and dolphins working from below.88climate
  6. 🇹🇷 Van, TurkeyPearl mullet spawning run · 15 Apr – 15 Jul (usually)Inci kefali, a fish found nowhere outside Lake Van, swim up to 24km up the rivers that feed the lake to spawn each spring, and fishing is banned lakewide for the run.88climate
  7. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.83climate
  8. 🇷🇺 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, RussiaSalmon run · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Six species come up the rivers through the summer, in the largest run of wild Pacific salmon anywhere.83climate
  9. 🇨🇦 Whistler, CanadaBlack bears on the mountain · 20 May – 15 Oct (usually)Sixty-odd bears live on the two mountains and are visible from the lifts and the golf courses from the melt onward, most obviously in spring on the new grass and in autumn on the berries.81climate
  10. 🇰🇪 Maasai Mara, KenyaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds arrive from July and the crossings run through to October, thickest in August and September.81climate
  11. 🇷🇴 Brașov, RomaniaBear watching season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Licensed hides in the forests around the town take bookings from spring to early autumn, through guides rather than on the day.80climate
  12. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaGrumeti River crossings · 15 May – 10 Jul (usually)Before the famous Mara crossings the herds push north-west through the corridor and over the Grumeti, where the crocodiles are the largest in the park.80climate
  13. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaKomodo dragon mating season · 1 Jul – 31 Aug (usually)The one time of year the males fight, standing up against each other on the trails.80climate
  14. 🇺🇸 Juneau, United StatesSalmon run and bears · 20 Jul – 15 Sep (usually)Sockeye run up Steep Creek beside the Mendenhall visitor centre from late July, coho behind them into autumn, and the black bears fish it from below a public boardwalk.80climate
  15. 🇧🇼 Kasane, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)As interior pans dry up, elephants pull out of the bush and concentrate along the Chobe riverfront, with herds of a thousand or more common by September and October.79climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Hyannis, United StatesWhite shark season · 1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)White sharks follow the grey seals into Cape waters from early summer and are gone by late autumn, with the tagged detections peaking in August and September.79climate
  17. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.78climate
  18. 🇨🇦 Banff, CanadaBear-season trail closures · 15 Jul – 1 Oct (usually)When the buffaloberry ripens the grizzlies drop to the valley trails and Parks Canada closes them, or restricts them to tight groups of four, at a day's notice.75climate
  19. 🇬🇷 Rhodes, GreeceMoths at Petaloudes · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Jersey tiger moths gather in their thousands in the shaded valley at Petaloudes for the dry months, and the site is closed to visitors outside them.75climate
  20. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.75climate
  21. 🇱🇰 Sigiriya, Sri LankaThe Gathering at Minneriya · 15 Jul – 30 Sep (usually)As the tank shrinks, hundreds of elephants come out onto the grass on the exposed bed — the largest gathering of wild Asian elephants anywhere.73climate
  22. 🇺🇸 Katmai National Park, United StatesJuly salmon run at the falls · 25 Jun – 5 Aug (usually)Sockeye stack up below Brooks Falls and the bears stand in the lip catching them mid-air, which is the picture everyone has seen.71climate
  23. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.68climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Lake Clark National Park, United StatesBear viewing season · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Brown bears graze the coastal sedge meadows and dig clams early in the summer, then move to the salmon streams at Silver Salmon Creek and Crescent Lake later on.68climate
  25. 🇳🇿 Kaikōura, New ZealandSeal pups in the streams · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Fur seal pups leave the colony through the colder months and swim up the streams north of town to play in the pools under the waterfalls.66climate

…and 6 more in July.

What's on around the world in July →

Wildlife season in August

  1. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesSalmon at the Ballard Locks · 15 Jun – 20 Sep (usually)Sockeye run through the fish ladder in early summer, chinook and coho into September, and the viewing windows below the locks are free and busy.95climate
  2. 🇰🇪 Nairobi, KenyaMara migration season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds cross in from the Serengeti and the Mara River crossings run from late July into October.94climate
  3. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.87climate
  4. 🇺🇸 Anchorage, United StatesSalmon runs · 15 May – 15 Sep (usually)Kings push into Ship Creek from mid-May, silvers take over from late July, and you can watch it from a car park in the middle of the city.83climate
  5. 🇷🇴 Brașov, RomaniaBear watching season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Licensed hides in the forests around the town take bookings from spring to early autumn, through guides rather than on the day.82climate
  6. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaKomodo dragon mating season · 1 Jul – 31 Aug (usually)The one time of year the males fight, standing up against each other on the trails.82climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Hyannis, United StatesWhite shark season · 1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)White sharks follow the grey seals into Cape waters from early summer and are gone by late autumn, with the tagged detections peaking in August and September.82climate
  8. Gibraltar, GibraltarRaptor migration over the Strait · 20 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Storks, honey buzzards and eagles funnel over the Strait in autumn to make the shortest crossing to Africa, and on a good easterly morning they pass low over the Upper Rock in thousands.82climate
  9. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.81climate
  10. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.81climate
  11. 🇰🇪 Maasai Mara, KenyaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds arrive from July and the crossings run through to October, thickest in August and September.80climate
  12. 🇨🇦 Whistler, CanadaBlack bears on the mountain · 20 May – 15 Oct (usually)Sixty-odd bears live on the two mountains and are visible from the lifts and the golf courses from the melt onward, most obviously in spring on the new grass and in autumn on the berries.79climate
  13. 🇨🇦 Banff, CanadaBear-season trail closures · 15 Jul – 1 Oct (usually)When the buffaloberry ripens the grizzlies drop to the valley trails and Parks Canada closes them, or restricts them to tight groups of four, at a day's notice.78climate
  14. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds bank up on the south side and go over in a rush that may happen twice in a morning or not at all that week.78climate
  15. 🇧🇼 Kasane, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)As interior pans dry up, elephants pull out of the bush and concentrate along the Chobe riverfront, with herds of a thousand or more common by September and October.76climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Shenandoah National Park, United StatesBlack bear season · 1 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Bears feed hard on acorns and berries through late summer and autumn, and this is the stretch you actually see them from the Drive.75climate
  17. 🇷🇺 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, RussiaSalmon run · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Six species come up the rivers through the summer, in the largest run of wild Pacific salmon anywhere.75climate
  18. 🇱🇰 Sigiriya, Sri LankaThe Gathering at Minneriya · 15 Jul – 30 Sep (usually)As the tank shrinks, hundreds of elephants come out onto the grass on the exposed bed — the largest gathering of wild Asian elephants anywhere.74climate
  19. 🇬🇷 Rhodes, GreeceMoths at Petaloudes · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Jersey tiger moths gather in their thousands in the shaded valley at Petaloudes for the dry months, and the site is closed to visitors outside them.73climate
  20. 🇳🇿 Kaikōura, New ZealandSeal pups in the streams · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Fur seal pups leave the colony through the colder months and swim up the streams north of town to play in the pools under the waterfalls.73climate
  21. 🇺🇸 Juneau, United StatesSalmon run and bears · 20 Jul – 15 Sep (usually)Sockeye run up Steep Creek beside the Mendenhall visitor centre from late July, coho behind them into autumn, and the black bears fish it from below a public boardwalk.73climate
  22. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.67climate
  23. 🇺🇸 Katmai National Park, United StatesJuly salmon run at the falls · 25 Jun – 5 Aug (usually)Sockeye stack up below Brooks Falls and the bears stand in the lip catching them mid-air, which is the picture everyone has seen.67climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Kobuk Valley National Park, United StatesCaribou cross at Onion Portage · 25 Aug – 5 Oct (usually)In autumn the Western Arctic herd swims the Kobuk River at Paatitaaq, a crossing used for more than eight thousand years and still the season's subsistence hunt for Inupiat families.65climate
  25. 🇺🇸 Lake Clark National Park, United StatesBear viewing season · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Brown bears graze the coastal sedge meadows and dig clams early in the summer, then move to the salmon streams at Silver Salmon Creek and Crescent Lake later on.59climate

…and 6 more in August.

What's on around the world in August →

Wildlife season in September

  1. 🇰🇪 Nairobi, KenyaMara migration season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds cross in from the Serengeti and the Mara River crossings run from late July into October.94climate
  2. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.89climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesSalmon at the Ballard Locks · 15 Jun – 20 Sep (usually)Sockeye run through the fish ladder in early summer, chinook and coho into September, and the viewing windows below the locks are free and busy.89climate
  4. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.88climate
  5. 🇺🇸 Bozeman, United StatesGolden eagle migration · 15 Sep – 31 Oct (usually)The Bridger ridge carries the largest known golden eagle migration in the lower forty-eight, counted from the ski area every autumn.87climate
  6. Gibraltar, GibraltarRaptor migration over the Strait · 20 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Storks, honey buzzards and eagles funnel over the Strait in autumn to make the shortest crossing to Africa, and on a good easterly morning they pass low over the Upper Rock in thousands.87climate
  7. 🇷🇴 Brașov, RomaniaBear watching season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Licensed hides in the forests around the town take bookings from spring to early autumn, through guides rather than on the day.86climate
  8. 🇺🇸 Hyannis, United StatesWhite shark season · 1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)White sharks follow the grey seals into Cape waters from early summer and are gone by late autumn, with the tagged detections peaking in August and September.86climate
  9. 🇬🇧 Bournemouth, United KingdomNew Forest deer rut · 20 Sep – 31 Oct (usually)The stags roar and fight through October on the heaths north of town, best at first light.82climate
  10. 🇬🇷 Rhodes, GreeceMoths at Petaloudes · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Jersey tiger moths gather in their thousands in the shaded valley at Petaloudes for the dry months, and the site is closed to visitors outside them.81climate
  11. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.81climate
  12. 🇰🇪 Maasai Mara, KenyaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds arrive from July and the crossings run through to October, thickest in August and September.79climate
  13. 🇳🇿 Kaikōura, New ZealandSeal pups in the streams · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)Fur seal pups leave the colony through the colder months and swim up the streams north of town to play in the pools under the waterfalls.78climate
  14. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds bank up on the south side and go over in a rush that may happen twice in a morning or not at all that week.77climate
  15. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.76climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Shenandoah National Park, United StatesBlack bear season · 1 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Bears feed hard on acorns and berries through late summer and autumn, and this is the stretch you actually see them from the Drive.74climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Anchorage, United StatesSalmon runs · 15 May – 15 Sep (usually)Kings push into Ship Creek from mid-May, silvers take over from late July, and you can watch it from a car park in the middle of the city.73climate
  18. 🇱🇰 Sigiriya, Sri LankaThe Gathering at Minneriya · 15 Jul – 30 Sep (usually)As the tank shrinks, hundreds of elephants come out onto the grass on the exposed bed — the largest gathering of wild Asian elephants anywhere.72climate
  19. 🇨🇦 Banff, CanadaBear-season trail closures · 15 Jul – 1 Oct (usually)When the buffaloberry ripens the grizzlies drop to the valley trails and Parks Canada closes them, or restricts them to tight groups of four, at a day's notice.71climate
  20. 🇧🇼 Kasane, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)As interior pans dry up, elephants pull out of the bush and concentrate along the Chobe riverfront, with herds of a thousand or more common by September and October.70climate
  21. 🇷🇺 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, RussiaSalmon run · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Six species come up the rivers through the summer, in the largest run of wild Pacific salmon anywhere.70climate
  22. 🇨🇦 Jasper, CanadaElk rut · 1 Sep – 10 Oct (usually)Bulls bugle from the golf course and the verges around the townsite through September, and they are genuinely dangerous at close range.69climate
  23. 🇨🇦 Whistler, CanadaBlack bears on the mountain · 20 May – 15 Oct (usually)Sixty-odd bears live on the two mountains and are visible from the lifts and the golf courses from the melt onward, most obviously in spring on the new grass and in autumn on the berries.66climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.66climate
  25. 🇯🇴 Dead Sea, JordanRaptors over the Rift · 1 Sep – 25 Oct (usually)The Jordan Valley is the funnel for the eastern flyway, and on an autumn morning the thermals carry streams of honey buzzards and storks down the length of it.65climate

…and 9 more in September.

What's on around the world in September →

Wildlife season in October

  1. 🇺🇸 Monterey, United StatesMonarchs at Pacific Grove · 20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)Monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus at the Pacific Grove sanctuary from late October to about the start of March, peaking around the turn of the year.92climate
  2. 🇰🇪 Nairobi, KenyaMara migration season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds cross in from the Serengeti and the Mara River crossings run from late July into October.90climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, California, United StatesMonarch butterflies · 15 Oct – 15 Feb (usually)Tens of thousands of monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges from mid-October, hanging in a shape that looks like dead leaves until the sun hits them.90climate
  4. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.88climate
  5. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.87climate
  6. Gibraltar, GibraltarRaptor migration over the Strait · 20 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Storks, honey buzzards and eagles funnel over the Strait in autumn to make the shortest crossing to Africa, and on a good easterly morning they pass low over the Upper Rock in thousands.87climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.81climate
  8. 🇺🇸 Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United StatesBat flight programme · 1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the natural entrance at dusk while a ranger talks; phones and cameras have to be off.81climate
  9. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.79climate
  10. 🇰🇪 Maasai Mara, KenyaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds arrive from July and the crossings run through to October, thickest in August and September.76climate
  11. 🇹🇿 Serengeti, TanzaniaMara River crossings · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)The herds bank up on the south side and go over in a rush that may happen twice in a morning or not at all that week.75climate
  12. 🇯🇴 Dead Sea, JordanRaptors over the Rift · 1 Sep – 25 Oct (usually)The Jordan Valley is the funnel for the eastern flyway, and on an autumn morning the thermals carry streams of honey buzzards and storks down the length of it.75climate
  13. 🇼🇸 Savai'i, SamoaThe palolo rising · 5–31 Oct (usually)For one or two nights in October, seven days after the full moon, the reef worms spawn and every village is in the shallows after dark with nets and lamps.75climate
  14. 🇪🇬 Marsa Alam, EgyptOceanic whitetips at Elphinstone · 1 Oct – 31 Dec (usually)Late autumn is when the oceanic whitetips are most reliably out on the offshore reef, hanging under the boats between dives.74climate
  15. Flying Fish Cove, Christmas IslandRed crab migration · 15 Oct – 15 Jan (usually)Millions of crabs leave the forest with the first rain and walk to the sea, and the cove is one of the easiest places to stand in the middle of it.73climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Hyannis, United StatesWhite shark season · 1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)White sharks follow the grey seals into Cape waters from early summer and are gone by late autumn, with the tagged detections peaking in August and September.71climate
  17. 🇬🇧 Bournemouth, United KingdomNew Forest deer rut · 20 Sep – 31 Oct (usually)The stags roar and fight through October on the heaths north of town, best at first light.70climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Bozeman, United StatesGolden eagle migration · 15 Sep – 31 Oct (usually)The Bridger ridge carries the largest known golden eagle migration in the lower forty-eight, counted from the ski area every autumn.68climate
  19. 🇺🇸 Shenandoah National Park, United StatesBlack bear season · 1 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Bears feed hard on acorns and berries through late summer and autumn, and this is the stretch you actually see them from the Drive.66climate
  20. 🇨🇦 Vancouver, CanadaSalmon run · 1 Oct – 10 Nov (usually)Spawning salmon come up the Capilano and the Adams River east of the city through October, strongest in the years the cycle peaks.65climate
  21. 🇹🇼 Kenting, TaiwanRaptor migration · 25 Sep – 25 Oct (usually)Something like a quarter of a million raptors funnel over the peninsula each autumn.60climate
  22. 🇧🇼 Kasane, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)As interior pans dry up, elephants pull out of the bush and concentrate along the Chobe riverfront, with herds of a thousand or more common by September and October.59climate
  23. 🇨🇦 Banff, CanadaBear-season trail closures · 15 Jul – 1 Oct (usually)When the buffaloberry ripens the grizzlies drop to the valley trails and Parks Canada closes them, or restricts them to tight groups of four, at a day's notice.57climate
  24. 🇨🇦 Jasper, CanadaElk rut · 1 Sep – 10 Oct (usually)Bulls bugle from the golf course and the verges around the townsite through September, and they are genuinely dangerous at close range.55climate
  25. 🇿🇲 Mfuwe, ZambiaElephants at Mfuwe Lodge · 20 Oct – 15 Dec (usually)A resident elephant family walks straight through Mfuwe Lodge's reception each year to reach an old wild mango tree fruiting in the courtyard, a route the same matriarchal line has used for at least three generations.53climate

…and 5 more in October.

What's on around the world in October →

Wildlife season in November

  1. 🇳🇦 Swakopmund, NamibiaSeal pupping at Cape Cross · 15 Nov – 31 Dec (usually)The colony ninety minutes up the Skeleton Coast pups in November and December and swells to a couple of hundred thousand animals.97climate
  2. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoMonarch butterfly season · 10 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The overwintering colonies at El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sit two to three hours east of the city.91climate
  3. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaHumpback migration · 15 May – 15 Nov (usually)Twenty thousand humpbacks pass the headlands, north from May to July and back with calves from September.87climate
  4. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesCongress Avenue bats · 20 Mar – 1 Nov (usually)A million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats roost under the bridge from spring until they head south in the autumn.87climate
  5. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.86climate
  6. 🇪🇬 Marsa Alam, EgyptOceanic whitetips at Elphinstone · 1 Oct – 31 Dec (usually)Late autumn is when the oceanic whitetips are most reliably out on the offshore reef, hanging under the boats between dives.84climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesManatee season at Big Bend · 1 Nov – 15 AprManatees crowd into the warm outflow of the Big Bend power station when the bay drops below about twenty degrees, and the free viewing centre beside it opens for exactly those dates.82climate
  8. 🇺🇸 Monterey, United StatesMonarchs at Pacific Grove · 20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)Monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus at the Pacific Grove sanctuary from late October to about the start of March, peaking around the turn of the year.82climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, California, United StatesMonarch butterflies · 15 Oct – 15 Feb (usually)Tens of thousands of monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges from mid-October, hanging in a shape that looks like dead leaves until the sun hits them.79climate
  10. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.78climate
  11. Flying Fish Cove, Christmas IslandRed crab migration · 15 Oct – 15 Jan (usually)Millions of crabs leave the forest with the first rain and walk to the sea, and the cove is one of the easiest places to stand in the middle of it.66climate
  12. Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsFur seal pupping · 15 Nov – 15 Jan (usually)Antarctic fur seals take over every workable beach to breed, and the bulls hold territory aggressively enough that landings get moved or dropped.66climate
  13. 🇳🇦 Etosha National Park, NamibiaCalving and the zebra move · 15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)Zebra and springbok drop their young as the new grass comes up, the plains game shifts west, and the predators go with them.64climate
  14. 🇿🇲 Mfuwe, ZambiaElephants at Mfuwe Lodge · 20 Oct – 15 Dec (usually)A resident elephant family walks straight through Mfuwe Lodge's reception each year to reach an old wild mango tree fruiting in the courtyard, a route the same matriarchal line has used for at least three generations.54climate
  15. 🇨🇦 Vancouver, CanadaSalmon run · 1 Oct – 10 Nov (usually)Spawning salmon come up the Capilano and the Adams River east of the city through October, strongest in the years the cycle peaks.49climate
  16. 🇨🇱 Torres del Paine, ChileGuanaco birthing · 15 Nov – 10 Jan (usually)Chulengos drop in the open country on the eastern side from late November, which is also why the pumas are working that ground in daylight.44climate
  17. 🇨🇦 Churchill, CanadaPolar bear season · 1 Oct – 25 Nov (usually)Around a thousand bears gather on the coast waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze, and the last week of October into mid-November is when they are most concentrated.29climate

What's on around the world in November →

Wildlife season in December

  1. 🇳🇦 Swakopmund, NamibiaSeal pupping at Cape Cross · 15 Nov – 31 Dec (usually)The colony ninety minutes up the Skeleton Coast pups in November and December and swells to a couple of hundred thousand animals.96climate
  2. 🇪🇬 Marsa Alam, EgyptOceanic whitetips at Elphinstone · 1 Oct – 31 Dec (usually)Late autumn is when the oceanic whitetips are most reliably out on the offshore reef, hanging under the boats between dives.92climate
  3. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoMonarch butterfly season · 10 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The overwintering colonies at El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sit two to three hours east of the city.91climate
  4. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesManatee season at Big Bend · 1 Nov – 15 AprManatees crowd into the warm outflow of the Big Bend power station when the bay drops below about twenty degrees, and the free viewing centre beside it opens for exactly those dates.87climate
  5. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorTortoises in the highlands · 1 Jun – 15 Dec (usually)Santa Cruz's wild tortoises spend the cool grey months up in the wet pastures, which is when the ranches on the road to Santa Rosa are thick with them.81climate
  6. 🇧🇷 Pipa, BrazilDolphins in the bay · 1 Jan – 31 DecSpinner dolphins work the bay under the cliffs most mornings, close enough to watch from the sand.76climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Monterey, United StatesMonarchs at Pacific Grove · 20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)Monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus at the Pacific Grove sanctuary from late October to about the start of March, peaking around the turn of the year.73climate
  8. Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsFur seal pupping · 15 Nov – 15 Jan (usually)Antarctic fur seals take over every workable beach to breed, and the bulls hold territory aggressively enough that landings get moved or dropped.71climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesElephant seals at Piedras Blancas · 1 Dec – 31 May (usually)Thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at the south end of the coast road, pupping in January and moulting into spring.70climate
  10. 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, California, United StatesMonarch butterflies · 15 Oct – 15 Feb (usually)Tens of thousands of monarchs cluster in the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges from mid-October, hanging in a shape that looks like dead leaves until the sun hits them.66climate
  11. Flying Fish Cove, Christmas IslandRed crab migration · 15 Oct – 15 Jan (usually)Millions of crabs leave the forest with the first rain and walk to the sea, and the cove is one of the easiest places to stand in the middle of it.64climate
  12. West Island, Cocos (Keeling) IslandsReef fish spawning season · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)The islands' one dive operator times trips to the reef's summer breeding activity: giant triggerfish nesting at Canyons and bump-head parrotfish gathering to spawn at Cologne Gardens, both easiest to see across December to February.64climate
  13. 🇳🇦 Etosha National Park, NamibiaCalving and the zebra move · 15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)Zebra and springbok drop their young as the new grass comes up, the plains game shifts west, and the predators go with them.63climate
  14. 🇯🇵 Nagano, JapanSnow monkeys in the hot spring · 15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The macaques at Jigokudani sit in the pool all year, but the winter version with snow on their heads is the one people come for.53climate
  15. 🇿🇲 Mfuwe, ZambiaElephants at Mfuwe Lodge · 20 Oct – 15 Dec (usually)A resident elephant family walks straight through Mfuwe Lodge's reception each year to reach an old wild mango tree fruiting in the courtyard, a route the same matriarchal line has used for at least three generations.51climate
  16. 🇨🇱 Torres del Paine, ChileGuanaco birthing · 15 Nov – 10 Jan (usually)Chulengos drop in the open country on the eastern side from late November, which is also why the pumas are working that ground in daylight.47climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Jackson, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually)Several thousand elk drop out of the high country onto the flats north of town for the winter, and horse-drawn sleighs run out among them from mid-December until the herd leaves in early April.32climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Yellowstone National Park, United StatesWinter wolves in the Lamar · 20 Dec – 10 Mar (usually)The road from Gardiner through to Cooke City is the only one ploughed all winter, and the Lamar Valley in the snow is where the wolf watchers set their scopes at first light.28climate
  19. 🇺🇸 Grand Teton National Park, United StatesElk on the National Elk Refuge · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Thousands of elk come down out of the high country to winter on the flats north of Jackson, and horse-drawn sleighs take people out among them.27climate

What's on around the world in December →