The Great Migration is one of the natural wonders of the world.
The scale of the Migration is hard to imagine, each year over 2 million
wildebeests follow the rains in a 1,800 mile (2,900 km) circle through
Tanzania and Kenya. With these massive herds come fellow migrants. Zebra
and antelope travel with the wildebeest herds seeking water and fresh
grass, while lions, cheetahs, and other predators follow in the herds
wake seeking an easy meal. The Migration represents a dynamic, flowing
ecosystem at work as so many different animals move across the region.
Witnessing the Great Migration is an incredible, unforgettable experience that
draws people from all across the world to the Serengeti each year.
The Migration is too big an event to ever capture in a single trip,
but even seeing one leg of the Migration is worth the effort.
Like so many natural wonders, the Great Migration doesn’t
follow a set schedule. Instead, it rambles along in the wake
of the seasonal moisture, stopping along the way as the rains do.
January and February
the next generation of Wildebeests are born. The herds are in the
southern Serengeti, Ndutu, and Ngorongoro Conservation areas for
the fresh, nutrient rich grasses. Over 500,000 calves are born in
just a few weeks. But, predators are waiting, so these young wildebeests
must be ready to run within minutes of birth if they want to survive the Migration.
March
the last of the calves are born and the grasslands of the southern Serengeti
have been eaten clean. The herds gather and begin the next leg of their journey,
moving west and north into the central Serengeti
May and June
the herds move north in massive numbers through the western and central Serengeti.
Packs of wildebeests 25 miles (40 km) long are not uncommon. Seeing the herd stretch
into the horizon and feeling ground tremble as tens of thousands of beasts march by
is hard to imagine, and impossible to forget.
July brings the most dangerous part of the Migration,
the river crossings. The herds have moved fully into the northern Serengeti
and are preparing to cross the Mara River into the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya.
The waters are fast, and hungry Nile crocodiles are waiting along the shores.
The crossing is dramatic as incredible numbers of wildebeests try to find
safety on the northern side of the river.
August, September, and October are restful
for those of the herd that made it to Masai Mara. The northern plains have
bountiful grass this time of year, and fewer predators than elsewhere along
the Migration’s path. As October winds to an end the herds will again move south,
crossing the Mara River back into Tanzania and the eastern Serengeti in search of better grazing.
October and November bring the herds together again
as they move through the eastern Serengeti. The herds are preparing to calve
again and the rains are moving on. The wildebeests, and the accompanying zebras
and antelopes, will find their way back to the abundant and nutrient rich
grasslands of the Southern Plains, preparing to start the whole cycle again
with a new generation in the lead.
We offer a number of safari options throughout Tanzania, including into the Serengeti.
If you’re interested in seeing the Migration let us know when we’re planning your
climb and safari. Our adventure experts can help you time your trip and choose the
safari package that will give you the best shot of catching the Migration.