Primal instincts drive swarms. Droves of animals breeding and feeding make for spectacles of nature as consistent as they are grand. Whether traversing lakes en route to fresh grasslands or battling peers for the affection of an aloof mate, colossal groups of animals provide breathtaking sights.

1. Red Crabs

Location: Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, Australia

What's Cool: Sixty-three percent of Christmas Island is a national park

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Dictated by ancestors and driven by offspring, Christmas Island's 100 million red crabs - "the most spectacular swarm of all" - migrate to the sea during the yearly monsoon rain. With military precision, the crustaceans scuttle across roads, golf courses and down high inland cliff faces. Rise early because migrations occur in the cool mornings when shadows shield the crabs from the deadly, drying sun. Once arriving at the sea, each crab lays thousands of eggs that hatch three weeks later. These crabs, which number millions more than their parents, spectacularly return en masse via the precise arrival route of their mothers.

2. The Wildebeest of East Africa

Location: Plains of Botswana, North Namibia, South Zimbabwe

What's Cool: The wildebeest snort

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What do you get when you cross the forequarters of an ox, the hindquarters of an antelope and the tail of a horse? Throw in stripes and a beard and you've got the blue wildebeest. While camping or trekking under the 5,300-year-old trees of the Makgadikgadi Pans, it's common to see herds of wildebeest plodding through the savanna in their daily search for water. The more than two million wildebeest in southern Africa flock every six months to new grasslands and water sources. They are loud, gregarious, boisterous animals. Listen for a cacophony of snorts and you've found the herd.

3. Jellyfish

Location: Palau

What's Cool: Snorkeling

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The natural phenomenon on the island of Palau is far more engaging than the cast of "Survivor." Rising to the surface of this Micronesian Island's coral reefs, a school of up to two million jellyfish pulsate toward the sunlight. They follow the sun each day, harnessing its beams through their nourishing internal algae. Ask locals about Secret Jellyfish Lake. Although it's a slight hike, the breathtaking density of the beautiful creatures makes for unforgettable snorkeling. Don't worry - the jellyfish have lost their sting as a result of evolution and their protected environment. Jump right in! But take note: scuba diving is illegal in some of the jellyfish lakes.

4. Storks

Location: Ban Thasadet, Thailand

What's Cool: Platforms on houses to encourage storks to build there and bring good luck

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Followers believe Buddha was incarnated as a waterbird in one of his lives; today Buddhist monks protect Bangkok's 80,000 migrating storks from hunters. Eighty kilometers north in Ban Thasadet, visitors pass signs with conservation slogans like "sky belongs to birds" and "water belongs to fishes." Occasionally diving to the ground to tug out the flesh of the apple snail - their favorite food - the storks are wary of people because they have only experienced them as hunters.

5. Bats

Location: Mulu, Borneo

What's Cool: The 5:30 p.m. mass bat exodus from Gua Payau Cave

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Become nocturnal for a week in Borneo. Seeing the bats dart through the caves of Gunung Mulu National Park on Borneo will surely reward your endurance. The most adventurous of travelers should seek out the massive Gua Payau Cave where two million free-tailed bats emerge each evening. Listen for a dull continuous hum as the bats begin to twist along the sky and look up to see low-flying bats weaving like a ribbon.

6. Caribou of the Canadian Arctic

Location: Ivvavik National Park

What's Cool: The zigzag of caribou crossing huge expanses of water

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The mantra goes, "wherever there's bog, there's caribou," and the Northwest Territories and Yukon of Canada are testimony to this truth. Every year, thousands of Caribou migrate more than 6,000 miles from the Atlantic to breed and find fresh food sources. Breached by the Fitch River's spectacular canoe route, Ivvavik National Park hosts 10 percent of the world's caribou. The park was created to protect Canada's porcupine caribou herd, which is now carefully monitored because over-hunting and radioactive fallout from Chernobyl have vastlyaffected its numbers. It is worth a trip to see these beautiful creatures.

7. Grunions

Location: Southwestern California

What's Cool: Scooping up the fish

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Grabbing grunions has proved to be a popular pastime for native Southern Californians and their visitors. The gunions "run" onto the shore during their mating season. The runs depend on the moon and the tide of the water. But once the runs begin thousands of squeaking grunions come ashore for one to three hours to mate. The female drills herself into the sand and is followed by the most adept male, who discharges his milt to combine with the eggs she leaves upon descending.

California requires a state fishing license to catch grunions, and they must be caught by hand only. Go to the end of an uncrowded beach for the most successful grunioning; use fires and lanterns sparingly because the light scares the fish. Finally, stay late - many grunioners quit an hour after high tide and miss a good run.

8. Mayflies

Location: LaCrosse, Wisconsin

What's Cool: The sacrifice made for mating

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Deep below the surface of the Mississippi, mayflies spend between one and two years garnering enough energy for the few hours of their life in midair. Millions of mayflies rise to the air to mate, then crash to the water to spill their 8,000 eggs. Now, mayflies have reached plague-like proportions. This is because the swarms are attracted to city lights and headlights, which ultimately lead to their deaths. Piles of decomposing mayflies surround most streetlights and give off a fishy, pungent odor. To witness this singular sensation, be sure to cover yourself. The density of the humming mayfly can make for uncomfortable viewing if unprepared.

9. Monarch Butterflies

Location: Angangueo, Mexico

What's Cool: Branches breaking under butterfly weight

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The monarch butterfly's annual 2,500-mile journey to Mexico ends at an isolated mountain range in the state of Michaocan. Fluttering from Canada and the northeastern United States, the monarchs' beautiful, delicate wings take them to the same destination each year. Most monarchs die when they reach the central United States, while their offspring complete the journey and their great-grandchildren return north. Recent ornithological research has shown that monarchs have internal magnets that they use in conjunction with the Earth's magnetic poles to make their astounding trip to the same destination each year.

10. Honeybees

Location: The British Isles

What's Cool: Fresh roadside honey throughout the region

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When you visualize a swarm, legions of bees come to mind. And the thousands of bees in the British Isles are a sight that will make even the most resilient adventure-seeker bristle. Between 1,500 to 30,000 bees fill the skies and descend on flowers, communicating their nectar discoveries by doing a dance. Although the swarms may appear foreboding and ominous, honeybees won't sting unless threatened because their deaths soon follow.
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