IT’S A LATE-OCTOBER MORNING IN THE HIGHLANDS OF MEXICO’S MICHOACAN state. The air is chilly, with a tinge of wood-smoke from the houses in the valley. You’re lying in the dry grass, looking up at the rangyjayamel firs. The trunks of the trees, usually brown, are instead, a rusty orange. The same is true of the needles, usually a deep piney green. Suddenly, the trees begin to ripple, as if covered in flames. A blanket of orange rises, undulating, into the sky. Then it settles towards the ground-and you’re surrounded by millions upon millions of monarch butterflies. Warmed by the morning sun, they descend to the ground to stay cool during the day.
PHOTOGRAPH: INGO ARNDT/NATURE PICTURE
A single butterfly is stunning, a work of art in miniature. But so many at once is aweinspiring in an entirely different way. Such is the power of the swarm. Swarms, flocks or massive herds of animals - from crab to wildebeest - make for some of the Earth’s best travel sights. Watching creatures move in sync with each other and with invisible natural forces can be anything from an endorphin rush, to a great photo opportunity, to a full-on spiritual experience. Bring your camera and your willingness to be wonderstruck.