(CNN) A massive herd of caribou grazes the Arctic tundra. Sea birds fatten up on shellfish along the Chesapeake Bay before flying thousands of miles to winter in South America. A pod of orca glide past Pacific islands blanketed in fir and cedar as they hunt for salmon.

Few sights are more awe-inspiring than mass movements of  animals instinctively traveling the path forged by the millions of their kind that came before them. Summer is prime time for wildlife viewing, the season when you'll catch birds and animals tending their young and storing up energy before their fall migrations to winter feeding and breeding grounds.

Here are seven jaw-dropping places in the United States to spot amazing creatures as they prepare for journeys large and small.