Date: 10/29/2000

Number: 1

Sunday morning, (9:00) thousands of Monarchs were traveling east along the primary dune line of Perdido Key, in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. They were traveling with Gulf Fritillary Butterflies which outnumbered the Monarchs 10 to 1.
They were all traveling at a pace faster than you could walk and were all going in the same direction (east). The majority of them were following a narrow line along the south side of the dune. There were so many of them, that if one did try to turn and go back, it would get run over. Neither species stopped to nectar or lay eggs. We were there about 2 hours, and they never stopped going by. The wind was gentle from the north and the gulf was flat.
Both species looked in good health with bright colors and untattered wings. They looked liked newborns.
We wondered where they were going in such a hurry, and why to the east?

Pensacola, FL

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -87.2

Observed by:
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