Wildlife to change your life

I often wonder how much the circle of life is moving me. When thousands of years of human evolution and time on this planet are controlling me via instinct, and when I'm acting entirely of my own accord. Several years ago I was lucky enough to watch the first few moments in the lives of a family of baby turtles. Buried in the sand they hatched from their eggs and without eating or drinking or being shown what to do they dug their way out into the air above and skittered, as fast as their tiny, newly hatched flippers would carry them, towards the ocean. Even if they feel the air or hear the ocean from inside their eggs, they've never experienced those things before, so it's baby turtle instinct which must dictate to them what to do. In that moonlit moment I thought baby turtle instinct must be one of the most powerful forces in nature, but that's really just the tip of the animal iceberg. It was like being plugged in to nature.

Instinct is clearly not to be reckoned with. Birds manage to embark on epic journeys twice a year and reach the same destinations, salmon fight their way upstream to spawn in the creeks they hatched in, and herds of wildebeest rumble in great packs across the Serengeti. We can't always understand why these creatures face these challenges, but we can appreciate that it's something pretty powerful, and witnessing one of these epic animal migrations will give you a sense of being part of something vast and painstakingly slow and ancient, yet also of the potential for renewal. Better for your soul than refreshing at a spa!

So which are the epic migrations worth planning your own cycle around? The Serengeti wildebeest migration is the best known – thousands of wildebeest tracking miles of dust into the air, predators waiting at every ridge - and can be seen from a safari truck or helicopter. Whales are amazing creatures, but along the route of their breeding migration they're at their most playful and social as they mate, calve and greet their new calves. Greys and Humpbacks especially so.

Quieter migrations are no less magical, and in the case of the Monarch butterfly migration, only more incredible, as a whole landscape is covered in softly beating wings. The great sardine migration, turns the waters off South Africa's east coast into a bed of churning silver as their slivery bodies press together so tightly to seem like some kind of sea monster rather than a billion strong shoal and the huge, red land crabs of Christmas Island are like a brightly sparing carpet at the height of the breeding season. Bird migrations take place all over the globe, but there is a particularly popular breeding ground on the Isle of Lesbos.

More Inspiring Wildlife Experiences » Plug into the circle of life

	The Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Wildlife in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania The Great Serengeti Migration is one of the worlds most spectacular wildlife events. Often referred to as 'The Greatest Show on Earth' the Migration is the largest movement of herds on the planet; the site is simply breathtaking. Take the Migration out of the Serengeti however and in my view you still have the finest park in Africa. What is unique about this pitch is the location in the Serengeti and the time of year - late July/August opens up the far North of the park, away from all the crowds. The area is called the Lamai Wedge and hardly anyone knows about it. Late July/August is peak season as the migration runs directly through the area. However a good 30% of the migration will be in the Lamai Wedge for July/August/Sept/Oct. This is still a good time of year to go. To be honest the whole year is fantastic up there (apart from April and May rains) because there are no people which is very rare in the Serengeti/Masai Mara. But the migration months are when it is at its best. Review by Julian Carter-Manning Photo by flickr user BrianScott
	Canopies of Fireflies Wildlife in Malaysia Take an evening canoe trip down the Selangor river and the canopy of stars over head will seem larger and will blink more than you’re used to… That’s because they won’t be stars over head but one of the worlds largest colonies of fireflies. The synchronised flashing of their green-yellow lights is a firefly mating ritual and thousands of fireflies put on their show every night as they search for mates. Both the males and the females can flash, but the males are organised enough to flash in unison. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user mohd fahmi
	Maputaland's Turtle Hatching Season Wildlife in Kwazulu, South Africa Every year turtles return, sometimes travelling thousands of kilometres, to the warm watered beaches in this region to lay their eggs near the spot they had hatched. Once they’ve arrived on the beach, the nesting is a slow process and most turtles lay between 500 and 1000 eggs at a time, dug into large holes and finally covered by 30cms of sand. The eggs hatch two months later and the tiny hatchlings dig their way out of the nests and scurry to the ocean. The warm water attracts different kinds of turtles: Loggerheads, huge Leatherbacks and Green Turtles and tropical Hawksbills. Turtles lay their eggs at different times and if you’re lucky you will be able to see both nesting and hatching in the one night. The season starts in October and finishes in April. Most of the money generated by tourism in this area goes back into the Maputaland Sea Turtle Project (you can even adopt your own turtle, who you can hold before you release into the ocean.). Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user coda
	The Great Sardine Migration Wildlife in Kwazulu, South Africa Though not as large in size as the wildebeests whose journey across the Serengeti has become known as 'The Great Migration', the annual passage of billions of sardines up South Africa’s east coast is almost as spectacular. As well as the shimmering shoals of sardines, which look like exotic, fluidly moving sea monsters, a crowd of hungry onlookers gather. Several varieties of ocean birds, around 23,000 dolphins and thousands of sharks and other fishy predators come from miles around to follow the shoal, so viewers can see the whole circle of life enacted in front of them. This is also a huge occasion for fishing, and nets are used to herd the sardines towards the shore where they are caught or else beach themselves. Visitors are encouraged to bring a bucket in case they can enjoy a free meal as well as a unique spectacle. You can also arrange to snorkel amongst the shoal. The sardines leave their home near the Aghulas Banks due to cold water currents that effect the area during June and July, then head north toward Mozambique. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user anniebanannie2006
	Digby Neck's Whale Migration Wildlife in Nova Scotia, Canada Digby is a long narrow rocky peninsular on the tip of Canada, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and a protected bay on the other, and is a great spot to watch the annual whale migrations. Many different types of whales pass along this coast and rest here to snack on the marine life teaming from the warmer waters of the bay. Digby Neck is on the route of minke, humpback, right, pilot and blue whales. Sea birds are also attracted to the peninsular by the abundance of food and bird watchers will be impressed with the variety of bird life. The tides of Digby Neck’s bay are some of the world's most dramatic and when the icebergs on the bay have risen up higher that the level of the docks it’s a truly unique sight. Visitors brave the powerful swell through the mouth of the bay to the best whale watching spots on the tip of the peninsular or else take to the open seas to get up close to the whales. The best times to meet the whales at Digby Neck is between May and October when you will hopefully catch the boys at their most playful while they perform all kinds of leaping and splashing antics while trying to attract a mate. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user Seamus Murray
	Monarch Migration in Mexico Wildlife in Mexico Set aside a day for this experience, as you hike up into the mountains of Michoacán to find the forest filled with orange and black butterflies. Trees turn into living organisms as the branches give way to millions of these delicate creatures and the air feels electric with the hum of millions of wings beating frantically. A good tour guide is key to finding these butterflies during their migration and only 2 of the 7 butterfly sites, El Rosario and Chincua, are open to the public. Tours can last up to 12 hours but it is worth the time and effort to see these living jewels dance through the air. The migration season starts in mid November and comes to an end in March. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user James Jordan
	Turtle Hatching Season in Costa Rica Wildlife in Costa Rica Visit this Caribbean country during the nesting and hatching season of the Green Sea Turtle and witness a timeless tradition. Female turtles drag their bodies out of the water to the very same beach where their lives began and lay their eggs. Guides escort you to the beach after nightfall to watch the nesting process, and later on in the season, see the new hatchlings make their way to the ocean by moonlight. Turtle season is from July to October and staying close to a beach reserve gives you the best opportunity to see it. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user Pvt. Pondscum
	Turtle Islands Park, Sabah Wildlife in Sandakan, Malaysia Slow and graceful Hawksbill and Green Turtles return to these idyllic, shallow watered, tropical islands each year to nest and lay their eggs along the same beaches where they first hatched at least ten years ago. Some of the turtles who nest on the islands have been tracked and travel hundreds and some thousands of kilometres across the oceans to find the right beach year after year. The tracking devices on their shells make them look like strange part robot creatures. Visitors are only allowed on the main island, and in the evening must wait (swatting mosquitoes) in a large covered area to be collected by the turtle monitors who take you to the turtles, already in the process of laying their eggs. The turtles patiently drag themselves out of the water and up the beach, seeming not to see the onlookers with their torches and hushed excitement, and heading for a spot they somehow recognise. Once the mother turtles have gone the monitors dig up the eggs and move them to a fenced off sandy nesting area where they are re-buried. Visitors then (if lucky) will get to see hatchlings (from an earlier mother) as they scramble out of the nesting area. Baby turtles are caught and given a health check before their journey. Visitors are able to hold a hatchling and give them a kiss on the shell for luck before setting them on the beach and watching them race for the ocean and the beginning of their long journeys (you‘re also encouraged to whisper some words of good luck and name your turtle. I named mine after my cat, Kitten, who is particularly feisty - so there is hopefully a Hawksbill Turtle out there called Kitten.). There is limited accommodation on the islands so it’s important to book in advance, you will also be sharing with a small army of bugs. The best times to visit are between July and October, but I went in early February and still saw both an egg laying and a hatching and got to hold both a newly laid turtle egg (they’re softer than you anticipate) and my brave, tiny hatchling. Review by Kat Mackintosh Photo by flickr user MattKK

More Inspiring Wildlife Experiences »