Darkling Beetles (04:20)

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Beetles journey across the Jordan Desert to the coast. They walk in extreme temperatures and strong winds on specialized legs, and fabricate water internally.

Great Salmon Run (03:16)

The run begins in the Pacific and ends in Canadian rivers, where the fish spawn. Scientists theorize that magnetic fields or scent imprints allow them to detect nursery streams. As the fish near coastlines, Steller Sea Lions lie in wait.

Sloths (02:54)

Sloths will take a day to climb down trees to defecate on the forest floor. Slow movements and metabolism equate to energy conservation and scant diet. Sloth moths that live in their fur lay eggs in the dung; hatched caterpillars feed exclusively on the excrement.

Rockhopper Penguins (05:52)

The penguins are specially adapted to Patagonia cliffs. Every day, they journey to the ocean for food and return to the cliffs to feed their chicks.

Monarch Butterflies (03:38)

Monarchs seasonally migrate from the northern Rocky Mountains to Mexico, hibernating on oyamel fir trees. On return to Canada, they reproduce. The eggs hatch into larvae, feed until they are grown caterpillars, and then transform within chrysalises.

Pacific Salmon (03:14)

The salmon travel toward spawning grounds, struggling up waterfalls by catapulting themselves to the top. Black Bears await their arrival, triggering a feeding frenzy in preparation for hibernation.

Wildebeest (05:44)

The wildebeest migration follows seasonal rains over 3,000 kilometers of Africa, and is the largest movement of land animals; many die on route. They stop to birth calves. Born in survival mode, offspring learn to run in two days. They group crosses Mara River.

Black-Browed Albatross (02:25)

Three quarters of the birds migrate to Falkland Islands to breed. Monogamous couples find each other and perform courtship rituals. Females lay one egg; males and females co-parent the chick for four months after hatching.

Mali Elephants (04:34)

Over eleven months, the elephants walk 600 kilometers across the Sahara, searching for water. During dry seasons, the matriarch must remember supply locations or her herd will die. A group travels through farmland, finding the Benzene watering hole after a week without drinking.

Spawning Grounds (02:50)

By October, Pacific salmon reach spawning grounds in spite of predators and obstacles; they are mangled by the journey. Females dig pockets in riverbeds to lay eggs and the males fertilize them; they both die. Their carcasses help sustain the aquatic food web.

Humpback Whales (03:49)

Humpbacks make the longest mammal migration, swimming 8,000 kilometers from Antarctica to their northern breeding grounds. Uninsulated calves benefit from warmer waters without predators. They use massive flukes to propel through the water, communicating to aide navigation.

Hooper Swans (03:05)

Hoopers migrate from Siberia to Lake Kussharo, where volcanic waters remain ice-free and supply food. They use calls to signal flight preparation and coordinate flocks. In the spring, they fly 2,900 kilometers home. Hear a summary of this episode.

Credits: Incredible Journeys - Wildest Survival (00:31)

Credits: Incredible Journeys - Wildest Survival