Move like millions. Survive together.
Each year, across the globe, a powerful yet quiet drama plays out. It’s a story that may not make the headlines but has a profound impact on life on Earth. This is not a story of politics, war or technology. This is a tale about survival. This is a story about instinct. The heart-pounding urgency of moving. The story of the Great Migrations.
National Geographic’s seven-part documentary series takes viewers into the world of animal migrations, those epic and perilous journeys taken by millions of animals, from the icy poles to Africa’s scorching savannah. They aren’t just migrations. These are life and death odysseys undertaken with astounding precision, courage, resilience, and determination.
We will take you to the end of the earth, where we will touch every continent. We’ll dive into the oceans and soar through the sky. And, we’ll trudge across the deserts. Every step, every swim, every flutter is all part of the larger story. The story of survival.
A Global Symphony of Movement
The Great Migrations takes you on a journey from the very first episode. The series uses high-definition filming that was shot in 20 countries across all seven continents over two and a quarter years.
The perspectives captured by drones flying above African plains or cameras embedded in the trees, or even underwater rigs below coral reefs, are intimate, immediate and deeply moving.
Each episode explores a different migration – some familiar, others virtually unknown. All are vital to the survival and development of the species that they follow. It’s not just about the will to survive, but also about the desire to flourish and pass on the life of the next generation.
Africa, the heartbeat of migration
The African continent is home to the most dramatic and dangerous migration spectacles. The Serengeti ecosystem, which stretches from northern Tanzania to Kenya, is the setting for one of Earth’s most famous migrations: the wildebeest.
A massive loop of nearly 3,000 km is made up of 1.5 million wildebeests accompanied by hundreds and thousands of gazelles and zebras. This movement, which involves crossing rivers filled with crocodiles and being chased by predators, is a primal act of life and death. One misstep could be the end, but a hesitant step can also cost you.
Every year, they still move, driven by instinct, the smell of rain and the rhythm of Earth. This is an incredible sight, so vibrant and alive, that even the most experienced wildlife filmmakers are humbled.
The African migrations do not end here. Elephants travel hundreds of miles in the Kalahari Desert to find water when the dry season arrives. Matriarchs can remember ancient paths that lead to watering holes. The memory of their matriarchs, which has been passed down from generation to generation, is the map for survival.
The Oceans: Highways of the Deep
Marine species also move beneath the surface of oceans. They are not visible to us, but they are still active. Many marine species travel thousands of kilometres across basins in order to reproduce, feed and survive.
The Great Migrations series takes us on a journey into the mysterious world of aquatic life. The humpbacks travel from the rich waters of Antarctica to the shallow, warm birthing lagoons near the coasts of Hawaii and Mexico. This journey spans over 8,000 km, making it one of the longest migrations known to any mammal.
These gentle giants use ancient instincts to navigate, and have been following the same routes for generations. The songs of these gentle giants echo through the depths and become a haunting soundtrack for their journey. They are a lullaby to their calves, as well as a beacon to other creatures like them.
Leatherback turtles also make a more arduous journey in the Pacific. They cross entire ocean basins to get from their feeding grounds on the U.S. West Coast to the nesting beaches of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Some of these resilient reptiles weigh over 900 kg and have survived over 100 million years. They swim in waters that are increasingly polluted with plastic, and they face threats from rising temperatures.
Oceans are alive and moving, but their fragility becomes more evident.
Asia – Monarchs of the Sky & Sand
Migrations in Asia’s vast landscapes may be less well-known, but they are no less dramatic. Amur falcon migration is perhaps the most symbolic. These small, agile birds fly one of the longest migrations over water of any raptor. They travel from northeastern Asia, across the Indian Ocean, to southern Africa.
These birds are small in size, but they have a strong spirit. They rely on the monsoon rains to help them survive. They’re joined in Nagaland by thousands, creating a sky-darkening swarm that is beyond imagination.
Meanwhile, in the remote deserts of Mongolia, the saiga antelope, recognisable for its bizarre, bulbous nose–embarks on seasonal migrations across one of the harshest environments on Earth. The saiga, once abundant in Eurasia, is now a fragile species, plagued by habitat loss, disease, and extinction. They still move. Their migration is both a testament to evolutionary adaptation as well as the precarious balance in life in extreme environments.
North America: A Continent in Motion
Migration is a major factor in defining the wild places of North America. The skies over Canada and the United States fill with V-shaped formations every autumn as geese and cranes migrate southward to find milder climates.
The journey of the monarch is unique. These tiny insects, which weigh less than a pencil, fly up to 4,800 km from Canada and northern U.S.A. to the forests of oyamel fir in central Mexico. On their journey, they encounter storms, pesticides and deforestation. They persist.
The same butterfly does not complete the journey; it takes several generations. The instinct to migrate, which is coded into their tiny bodies, is passed on from parent to child like a wind whisper.
Caribou, bison, and elk migrate through the Rocky Mountains. These large mammals have to navigate changing climate conditions and habitats as well as increasing human encroachment.
Antarctica – March of the Survivors
Another migration is taking place at the edge of the planet, where temperatures can drop well below freezing, and the daylight may last months or even disappear completely.
The emperor, who is regal and stoic, travels inland to escape the harsh Antarctic winter. During the harsh Antarctic winter, while other animals flee to avoid the cold, Emperor penguins walk up to 100 km or more. Why? Why?
The males incubate the eggs under sub-zero temperatures. These penguins balance their eggs on their feet and cover them with a warm flap of belly. They stand motionless, amid howling winds and darkness, for weeks as they wait for their mates.
The most extreme migration is here, where the price of survival is paid with ice and endurance.
Australia – Land of Epic Journeys
Australia is home to unique migrations due to its biodiversity and ecosystems.
The Christmas Island red crab is one of the most impressive. Every year, millions march from the island’s rainforests down to the coast to reproduce and release their eggs. Crabs clog the roads so much that authorities have to build overpasses or shut down traffic to let them pass.
This migration is perfectly timed to the lunar cycle and monsoon rainfalls. It’s a stunning example of how nature’s clock ticks with incredible precision.
In the sky above, the short-tailed Shearwater, also known as the Muttonbird, makes an annual trip of more than 30,000 km from Australia to the Arctic Circle. This feat is almost miraculous for a bird that’s no bigger than a pigeon.
A shared struggle, a global concern
Not just movement but also purpose is what binds these migrations. Each creature in Great Migrations has an ancient instinct that drives them to migrate at the perfect time, on the ideal route, and for the best reason.
The modern world is challenging this instinct more and more.
Climate change, deforestation and plastic pollution, as well as urban sprawl and poaching, disrupt the delicate choreography of these migrations. Once open-land routes now pass through highways and urban landscapes. Acidification and warming of oceans, once full to plankton and other fish, is a growing problem. Dams are built on rivers. Artificial light is used to illuminate the skies. Nature’s clockwork is failing.
Great Migrations is more than just a nature documentary. It is an appeal to action.
Conclusion: Lessons Learned from the Road They Travel
We humans often see ourselves as being separate from nature. The migratory trips featured in this collection remind us that movement, connection, and survival are universal truths.
These creatures, whether it is a herd of elephants in Botswana searching for water, a whale slicing through the waters of Antarctica, or a tiny butterfly flying across international borders with paper-thin wings, embody resilience and unity.
The number of people who move is in the millions
. They are one.
In their movements, they remind us of our own. We need space, seasons and freedom. We rely on Earth’s fragile systems. It is our responsibility to protect these systems.
National Geographic’s The Great Migrations is more than a beautiful visual work. It’s a humbling look at the oldest and most beautiful story in the world. The story of the world on the move.