Artic terns are known as migration champions. They travel 22,000 miles every year. Grey Whales and Northern Elephant seals hold the record of longest migration among mammals with an impressive 13,000 miles round trip. Ten years ago a great white shark made it from Africa to Australia, travelling the 12,400 miles in nine months. But the longest non-stop migration by a bird (that was recorded!) was done by a bar-tailed godwit. In just nine days it flew 7,145 miles from Alaska to New Zealand. It lost half its body weight as it didn't stop to drink or eat during this time.
Do we even dare compare humans to this? Firstly, we can't fly. Even after we built planes, the longest non-stop flight covered 10,376 miles from Singapore to New York and the Airbus had four engines, a pilot and co-pilot and everyone got to take breaks for food. The bar-tailed godwit did it all alone.
flickr | Wayne Butterworth