The heat of a scorched riverbed is too much for some animals, but the rare and venomous Gila monster is still active and hunting for prey. Meanwhile, the untiring hummingbird mother will feed her remaining chick until it finally fledges.

May sees drought conditions in the park, but the saguaro cactus is completely unaffected. A family of ground squirrels is laying low, but a long-nosed snake has caught their scent.

The saguaro cactus blooms overnight and its flower is visited the next morning by a Gila woodpecker. As the heat of day rises, harvester ants work go about their work, wary of a mortal enemy in the park.

In June, surviving the ferocious sun and intense heat is a challenge for every living being in the park, and each has developed a special technique to see it through until the next rain.

After the rain, the opuntia cactus, or “prickly pear,” ripens to provide a sweet but not easily accessible meal for animals such as the ground squirrel. As the water seeps in, the park enjoys a moment of relaxation.

A giant scorpion is on the prowl looking for food, and a family of grasshopper mice seems to be on his menu tonight. However, the fortitude of the desert's denizens should never be underestimated.

A horned lizard out hunting for ants catches the eye of a hungry coachwhip snake, and deploys an impressive variety of strategies in order to not be eaten alive.

A thunderstorm hits with the power of a tropical monsoon, putting the desert creatures at risk from the powerful floodwaters.

After the rains, there is enough water and food for all to share in the desert and Saguaro National Park can bask in all its glory.

Alongside the wild Pacific coast of the USA, the Olympic National Park encompasses an unparalleled variety of exciting natural environments, from rainforest to rugged mountains. First, we experience the thrill of the hunt, as a pod of killer whales targets a group of unsuspecting Steller sea lions.

As the orcas celebrate the success of their hunt, silver salmon, or “coho” are moving from the sea to the inland streams where they will breed. But they‘ll have to be careful and lucky too, as otters and black bears are waiting along the way.

Having arrived at their spawning grounds, several male coho try out different techniques to impress a single female. The river otters love fish, and need to eat a lot of them to maintain their active lifestyle.

The park was designated as a protected area by President Theodore Roosevelt over a hundred years ago. Since then, it has been maintained naturally by the various creatures that live there without human intervention. Each has their role to play in this biodiverse ecosystem.

A great deal happens beneath the waves of the park’s dramatic coastline. Sea stars hunt mussels and urchins in shallow pools, while seals, sea lions, and sea otters inhabit kelp beds, feeding on the small creatures that graze there.

Gray whales migrating north from Mexico must pass through dangerous waters off the coast of Olympic National Park, where groups of orcas are actively hunting them and their young.