Which clue helps indicate nearby land for travelers at sea?

Which clue helps indicate nearby land for travelers at sea?

• A. Flight paths of seabirds
• B. Cloud shapes reveal islands beneath them
• C. Snowdrift patterns align with wind direction
• D. Inuksuk markers on featureless terrain

Answer: (A)

Flight paths of seabirds are a practical clue for nearby land because these birds nest, roost, and feed close to coastlines and islands. When you notice seabirds flying in patterns that suggest returning toward land or gathering near a particular direction, it often indicates land is in that direction. Birds exploit marine feeding grounds that are near land, so their movements can reliably hint at land’s location. The other clues aren’t as dependable: cloud shapes don’t reliably reveal submerged land, snowdrift patterns relate to wind on land rather than at sea, and inuksuk markers exist on land, not out on open water.

Flight paths of seabirds are a practical clue for nearby land because these birds nest, roost, and feed close to coastlines and islands. When you notice seabirds flying in patterns that suggest returning toward land or gathering near a particular direction, it often indicates land is in that direction. Birds exploit marine feeding grounds that are near land, so their movements can reliably hint at land’s location.

The other clues aren’t as dependable: cloud shapes don’t reliably reveal submerged land, snowdrift patterns relate to wind on land rather than at sea, and inuksuk markers exist on land, not out on open water.