Plan Your Trip
Seasonal Wildlife Calendar
Find the best time to see every animal, anywhere in the world.
Green months show the best viewing season for each animal at each destination. Use this calendar to plan your trip around peak wildlife activity.
| Animal | Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildebeest | Serengeti / Masai Mara | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jan-Feb calving; Jul-Oct river crossings | ||||||
| Lion | Serengeti / Masai Mara / Kruger | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Dry season concentrates prey and predators | ||||||
| Leopard | Sabi Sands / South Luangwa | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Dry season, sparse vegetation = better sightings | ||||||
| Cheetah | Serengeti / Etosha | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Open plains, dry season visibility | ||||||
| Mountain Gorilla | Bwindi / Volcanoes NP | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jun-Sep & Dec-Feb dry seasons | ||||||
| African Elephant | Amboseli / Chobe / Kruger | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Dry season: herds gather at water | ||||||
| Black Rhino | Ol Pejeta / Hluhluwe | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Waterholes and open terrain | ||||||
| Bengal Tiger | Ranthambore / Bandhavgarh | ● | ● | ● | ● | Mar-Jun: hot, tigers visit waterholes | ||||||||
| Snow Leopard | Hemis NP, Ladakh | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Winter: descend to lower elevations | |||||||
| Jaguar | Pantanal, Brazil | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jul-Nov dry season, jaguars near rivers | |||||||
| Whale Shark | Ningaloo Reef | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Mar-Jul: World's most reliable aggregation | |||||||
| Whale Shark | Cancun, Mexico | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jun-Sep: Large gatherings | ||||||||
| Humpback Whale | Maui, Hawaii | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Dec-Apr breeding season | |||||||
| Humpback Whale | Hermanus, South Africa | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jun-Nov: Shore-based whale watching | ||||||
| Orca | San Juan Islands, USA | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | May-Oct: Resident pods follow salmon | ||||||
| Orca | Tromso, Norway | ● | ● | ● | Nov-Jan: Follow herring into fjords | |||||||||
| Polar Bear | Churchill, Manitoba | ● | ● | Oct-Nov: Bears gather for ice freeze | ||||||||||
| Orangutan | Borneo (Sepilok / Kinabatangan) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Mar-Oct: Drier months, better access | ||||
| Giant Panda | Chengdu, China | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Spring & autumn: Active, comfortable weather | ||||||
| Komodo Dragon | Komodo NP, Indonesia | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Apr-Dec: Dry season, best diving visibility | |||
| Koala | Raymond Island / Kangaroo Island | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Possible year-round; no universal peak — check local heat, fire, weather, access, and welfare guidance |
| Galapagos Tortoise | Galapagos Islands | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jun-Dec: Cooler season, more marine life | |||||
| Manta Ray | Maldives (Hanifaru Bay) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jun-Nov: Largest feeding aggregation | ||||||
| Great White Shark | Gansbaai, South Africa | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Apr-Sep: Cage diving peak season | ||||||
| Emperor Penguin | Snow Hill specialist route | ● | ● | Late breeding cycle; ice-, weather-, welfare-, and permission-dependent — ordinary Peninsula cruises are not colony trips | ||||||||||
| Grizzly Bear | Katmai / Denali, Alaska | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Jun-Oct: Salmon runs, pre-hibernation feeding |