This is clearly not the best
place for butterflies to head for if they have a fear of
crowds.
But congregating on trees in
their millions and creating a wonderful orange glow as they fly
around, the beautiful monarch butterflies at the Sierra Chincua
reserve in Mexico are a spectacular sight.
The reserve hosts up to one
billion butterflies each year, after they have made their migration
from North America in a 2,500-mile journey to the warmer climes of
Mexico between October and March.
The spectacular images were
taken by photographer Joel Sartore, who was amazed by what he
saw.
He said: ‘I was doing a story
to document animal migrations in North America and covering this
world famous event was a highpoint in the coverage
‘I loved the fact that so many of
the butterflies congregate on the wintering grounds. It was like
being in an orange blizzard at times.
‘It was a really wonderful life
experience and one of the reasons I enjoy working as a
photographer. It's a world class spectacle that's well worth seeing
and an experience you'll never forget.’
With a wing span of four
inches, the monarch butterfly is known for its lengthy migration
and is the only butterfly species to make annual north-south
migrations, like many bird species.
The monarch migrates from
North America to central Mexico and back again each
year.
However, having a life span of
only two months, it takes four generations to complete the round
trip.