Summer-nomena: 10 Incredible Phenomena You Have To See In Summer

Mother Nature is full of surprises every changing season. Check out these amazing phenomena you can only see during the summer months, from the midnight sun to tree-climbing goats.

1. Brown Bears at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park

Inhabited by 2,200 brown bears, Katmai National Park is one of the best places in the world to see these wild bears, especially in summer, when the animals are searching for food. At Brooks Falls, the bears gather to hunt for sockeye salmon jumping the falls. According to the National Park Service, visitors to the park can safely view the brown bears from the Wildlife Platform at Brooks Camp. The best time to go is July, when the dominant males compete for fishing spots on the falls, but bears can also be seen fishing at Brooks Falls later in the summer.

2. The Midnight Sun, Arctic Circle

North of the Arctic Circle, the sun remains visible for a full 24 hours for several weeks or months around the summer solstice. This natural phenomenon, called “The Midnight Sun” can be experienced in such places as Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia and Alaska. The Midnight Sun lasts the longest in the most northern places of the world, including Norway’s North Cape, where the sun doesn’t set from mid-May through July. In Utqiagvik, Alaska, the sun doesn’t set for more than two-and-a-half months.

3. Blooming Fields of Lavender and Sunflowers, Provence, France

From June to August every year, the fields in Provence, France bursts into vibrant yellow and purples as lavender and sunflower fields bloom side by side. There are several scenic routes to drive or bike through the sunflower and fragrant lavender fields, which are usually concentrated around the Mont-Ventoux in Sault or Valréas. Once harvested, lavender is used to make soap, cosmetics and incorporated into Provençal cuisine. Sunflowers, called “tournesols” in French meaning “turn-sun,” also play a key role in Provençal culture and cuisine.

4. Climbing Goats, Southwest Morocco

Every summer, goats climb trees in southwest Morocco, drawn by the Argan tree’s fruit, which ripens in June every year. The goats are very adept at climbing the trees thanks to their two-toed hooves, which can spread out to provide balance and leverage. The animals also have soft feet soles, which help them grip the bark, and two vestigial toes on their legs, called dewclaws, which help them pull themselves up branches.

5. Wildflowers, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

6. Nesting Sea Turtles, Florida

More than 100,000 threatened and endangered sea turtles nest on Florida beaches every summer. Environmental groups offer nighttime sea turtle walks to visitors in June and July at several locations including the Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park and the Barrier Island Sanctuary. On the turtle walk, visitors get to see turtles (usually loggerheads weighing between 200 and 250 pounds) come ashore to lay their eggs. About two months after the eggs are laid, tiny turtles hatch and make their way back to the water.

7. Wild Berry Season, USA

Summer is wild berry season across the U.S., from Florida to California. Berry season begins in late spring and last into October, and includes such delicious treats as blackberries, raspberries, elderberries, blueberries, strawberries and boysenberries. Berry pickers should be on the lookout for bears, however, as the animals are known to congregate near large berry patches. Several parks offer berry picking outings with an expert to help identify the fruit.

8. Fire Rainbow Clouds (Circumhorizontal Arcs)

Technically known as circumhorizontal arcs, ‘Fire Rainbows’ get their name from their brightly rainbow colors and flame-like shape and are ice halos made up of hexagonal, plate-shaped ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds. When the sun is very high in the sky, sunlight enters these ice crystals and splits into individual colors, just like a prism. However, because Fire Rainbows require the sun to be at a very precise position - an elevation of 58 degrees or greater - they are a rare phenomenon, usually only spotted in summer.

9. Synchronized Fireflies, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Thousands of fireflies congregate in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for two weeks every summer and blink in perfect unison to attract mates. These fireflies, called synchronous fireflies or Photinus carolinus, are the only species in America that are known to synchronize their flashing light patterns, according to the National Park Service. The dates of this display vary from year to year, but this year, the park lists June 4 - 11 as the dates allowing visitors to observe this impressive phenomenon.

10. Whales At Feeding Grounds, New England

Every summer, whales can be seen along the New England coast in their popular feeding grounds. The most common species seen is the Humpback whale, but Minke, Finback and the endangered North Atlantic Right Whales can also be spotted on occasion. There are several tour operators offering whale-watching boat trips to tourists out of Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Most tours head out to the major whale feeding grounds of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Jeffrey’s Ledge or the Gulf of Maine, depending on their port of departure.

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