With such technological improvements, the Vikings began to make more and more ocean voyages, as their ships were more seaworthy. However, in order to sail in ocean waters, the Vikings needed to develop methods of relatively precise navigation. Most commonly, a ship’s pilot drew on traditional knowledge to guide the ship’s path. Essentially, the Vikings simply used prior familiarity with tides, sailing times, and landmarks in order to route courses. An example of this would be scholars contend that the sighting of a whale allowed the Vikings to determine the direction of a ship. Because whales feed in highly nutritious waters, commonly found in areas where landmasses have pushed deep-water currents towards shallower areas, the sighting of a
