How Animals Navigate Without GPS (Magnetic Fields, Instinct & More)

from Wildly Curious · host Katy Reiss & Laura Fawks Lapole

Send us Fan MailEver wonder how birds, eels, whales, or even bugs find their way without a GPS? In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover the jaw-dropping science behind animal navigation.From locusts using sky maps and magnetic fields, to eels migrating thousands of miles to a secret oceanic birthplace no one’s ever seen (seriously), and birds that may be using quantum mechanics to see the Earth’s magnetic field—it’s a global tour of natural way-finding.🌎 How do animals "see" magnetic fields? 🧭 What is magnetoreception and how does it work? 🌌 Can birds actually use quantum mechanics to navigate? 🐟 Why do we still not know how eels reproduce?This episode explores what researchers are learning—and why the military, ocean shippers, and conservationists are all paying attention.🎧 Perfect for curious minds, nature nerds, and anyone who's ever questioned how animals seem to have better internal GPS than humans with smartphones. Support the show🎉 Support us on Patreon to keep the episodes coming! 🪼🦤🧠 For more laughs, catch us on YouTube!Track a real wild animal. Support conservation. Feel slightly cooler than you did five seconds ago. Visit the Fahlo tracking bracelets website to get 20% off tracking bracelets with code WildlyKaty.

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This episode is 58 minutes long.

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This episode was published on July 30, 2025.

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