Jim Gilbert Monarch Home Page Challenge Questions Today's News Spring's Journey North Report Your Sightings Teacher's Manual Search Journey North return to: A/CPB

Discussion of Challenge Question #7 Don Davis, Toronto, Ontario Yes, it is entirely possible that monarchs cross the Gulf of Mexico. I think I told you of having a tagged monarch recovered on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico - about 100 miles south of Galveston, Texas. Until I flew over the gulf last fall, I had no idea just how many oil rigs and plaforms fill the gulf. What an incredible sight from the air. Thus, there are many opportunities for tired monarchs to rest! Fred Urquhart also reported seeing monarchs flying in off the gulf as he stood on the Yucatan Peninsula. Certainly they fly over Lake Ontario in large numbers.