Why staying in one area makes wildlife spotting much more rewarding

Spending extended time anchored or moored in a single location builds a mental map of what lives there and where. Lauren Landers Sailing notes that once you know an area well, you can predict that a particular bait ball will be in its usual spot, that a manta ray has a chance of showing up, and that a specific Napoleon wrasse tends to patrol the pass. That accumulated local knowledge turns each drone flight from a random search into a targeted hunt, and makes every sighting more meaningful because it fits into a pattern you have been building.