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Copyright © 2004 Roberto Gómez Torres, All Rights Reserved
| Tiempo Digital
The annual migration of the Monarch Butterfly is one of nature's greatest mysteries. Incredibly, four to five generations separate the monarch populations that make this long and dangerous migration. The Monarch Butterflies that journey to Mexico are the great, great grandchildren of previous generations to have made it. Every fall, huge numbers of Monarch Butterflies gather in southern Canada to migrate. Until recently, it was not known where these butterflies went. We now know that some Monarch Butterflies travel over 3,100 kilometers, just to overwinter in places like Michoacan, Mexico. More specifically, these butterflies usually congregate in a small town in Michoacan called Angangueo. Some other Monarch Butterflies winter in Cuba or California. These long flights pose great danger for the butterflies, especially from predators. In sanctuary in Angangueo, Michoacan in Mexico, the are thousands, or even millions, of Monarch Butterflies. From morning until about 1:00pm, you can see them flying around and almost obscuring the sky. You will hear the fascinating sound of their wings flapping. Here, at altitudes of 9,000 to 12,000 feet, they overwinter, roosting in oyamel trees at night in groups estimated to be hundreds of thousands strong per tree. In the warmth of the morning sun, they fly low, landing to drink the morning dew and dampened earth near natural springs. On the panorama, just behind me (the guy with the black jacket and blue jeans) you can see on the trees the clouds of butterflies set at the branches forming big orange spots all over the forest. Sadly the low resolution of my camera and the distance allowed for tourists can not revel more detail. But this is a place you should visit to appreciate at all its beauty. Hope you like this beautiful Sanctuary. Reserva de la Biósfera Mariposa Monarca
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