A Monarch That Flew the Wrong Way
The Story of the New Jersey to New York Monarch

Once upon a time--October 15, 2001, to be exact--a monarch butterfly was tagged in Cape May, New Jersey.

It was found 143 miles away on October 20, 2001, in Amity Harbor, New York.

  • Look at this map and find: Cape May, New Jersey and Amity Harbor, New York.

Assume the butterfly flew in a straight line between the two places (although this may not be true):

  • Which direction would you expect the butterfly to fly when traveling from New Jersey to Mexico?
  • Which direction did the monarch fly?
  • Why do you suppose it went the way it did?

Extension: Weather and Monarch Migration
According to the Cape May Monarch Migration Project census data for fall 2001, the winds in Cape May were as shown on the table below.
October 15: WNW October 18: NW
October 16: SE October 19: S
October 17: W October 20: W
  • How do you think the wind might have affected the monarch?

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