Buzz
Every day, countless individuals venture out to sea for various purposes, such as fishing, military endeavors, or other pursuits. Sadly, not all who embark on these oceanic journeys make it back. Below are ten sailors who vanished under mysterious circumstances at sea.
10. John Cabot
Born around 1450, Giovanni Caboto was an Italian mariner who later pursued a career in exploration. Around 1495, he sought funding for his voyages, initially approaching Spain but failing to secure royal support. After changing his name to John Cabot, he traveled to England, where he successfully gained the backing of King Henry VII.
With the king's financial support, John Cabot embarked on a voyage, taking a northern route distinct from Columbus's path. After 20 days, he discovered land, mistakenly believing it to be Asia, and named it Newfoundland. Although he didn't find the riches other explorers had, he noted the abundant cod population. He claimed the land for England and returned home shortly after.
A year later, during his return voyage, John Cabot faced far less success.
Around 1498, he embarked on another expedition to map a westward route from Europe to Asia. This journey marked the last time anyone heard from him. Despite setting sail with five ships, no further records of John Cabot's fate exist.
To this day, it remains unclear whether John Cabot vanished at sea or reached another continent without documenting his experiences. As a result, he is widely believed to have been lost at sea during his final expedition.
9. Vasco de Ataíde
Vasco de Ataíde, a Portuguese sailor, joined Pedro Cabral's expedition to India in 1500. Although the journey was largely successful, Vasco de Ataíde tragically never reached his intended destination.
Ataíde commanded one of the ships in Pedro's fleet, which departed from Cape Verde along Africa's western coast in late March 1500. This departure marked the last time the ship was ever seen.
Neither Ataíde nor his 150 crew members were ever found. Interestingly, historical accounts from that period indicate no severe weather or storms that could have endangered the ship. The fate of Vasco de Ataíde and his crew remains an unsolved mystery.
8. Gaspar Corte-Real
Born in Portugal around 1450, Gaspar Corte-Real shared the adventurous spirit of many young men of his era. In 1500, he began his sailing career, embarking on a westward voyage from Portugal under the king's authority.
Gaspar reached Greenland but was unable to land safely, forcing him to return to Portugal. A year later, he secured the necessary resources to attempt a second expedition to the icy region.
Once more, the harsh icy conditions prevented him from landing in Greenland, so he sailed further south to Labrador. There, he captured several indigenous people and took them aboard his ships to bring back to Portugal.
Months later, two of Gaspar's three ships returned to London. However, Gaspar, who was aboard the third ship, was missing. His fate and the whereabouts of his ship remain unknown, leaving him forever lost at sea.
7. Miguel Corte-Real
The name Corte-Real might ring a bell, as Miguel Corte-Real was the brother of Gaspar Corte-Real. When Gaspar didn’t return from his 1501 Greenland expedition, Miguel was deeply troubled.
Driven by the desire to locate his brother and ensure his safe return, Miguel assembled a crew and three ships. In 1502, he departed from Portugal on a mission to find Gaspar.
The expedition started well, with the group reaching Gaspar’s last known location. To maximize their chances of success, the three ships split up, planning to regroup on August 20th to share their discoveries.
When the scheduled meeting date arrived, Miguel’s ship was nowhere to be found. No evidence of his fate ever surfaced, and he was ultimately declared lost at sea, just like his brother.
6. Diego de Nicuesa
Not every imperialist explorer hailed from Portugal. Diego de Nicuesa, a Spanish adventurer, sought his fortune by journeying to distant lands. Supported by the Spanish crown, he first traveled to Santo Domingo in 1502, marking the beginning of his numerous expeditions to Latin America.
His initial voyage proved successful, leading to multiple commissions over the following years. He traveled to regions like Panama and Costa Rica, where he took on the role of governing Spanish colonies.
However, in 1510, his fortunes took a turn for the worse. Famine and disease sparked rebellions, and Diego de Nicuesa set out to quell one such uprising. Upon arrival, the colonists refused him entry, instead forcing him and seventeen crew members onto a boat bound for Santo Domingo.
Somewhere in the vast ocean, the boat vanished. It never reached Santo Domingo, and Diego, along with his crew, was never heard from again.
5. Francisco de Hoces
Francisco de Hoces, a Spanish military officer, joined the Loaísa Expedition to the Spice Isles in 1526. He was assigned to command the San Lesmes, one of the seven ships in the fleet.
Initially, the journey proceeded smoothly, and the fleet reached the Pacific Ocean. However, they soon encountered fierce storms. During one such storm, the San Lesmes, carrying Francisco de Hoces, vanished without a trace.
The fate of De Hoces and his ship remains a mystery. Some speculate the vessel was blown as far as Easter Island or New Zealand, though there is little evidence to confirm this. Today, it is widely believed that Francisco perished at sea. The treacherous waters he navigated were later named the Drake Passage or Mar de Hoces.
4. Roche Braziliano
Roche Brazilano, unlike many law-abiding sailors on this list, was a pirate who began his criminal career in 1654. Known for his extreme cruelty, he reportedly threatened to shoot anyone who refused to drink with him.
Despite his successful pirating endeavors, Roche Brazilano's career came to an abrupt end in 1671 when he and his entire crew mysteriously disappeared.
What makes this disappearance even more puzzling is the lack of any records explaining what might have occurred. Speculation abounds regarding whether the ship sank, was captured, or met some other unknown fate. To this day, Roche Brazilano remains lost at sea.
3. Michel de Grammont
Born around 1645 in Paris, Michel de Grammont initially lived as a nobleman. However, after killing his sister's suitor, he lost favor with the court and turned to piracy. In 1670, he set sail on a ship named Hardi, marking the start of his new life.
Throughout his raids, Michel de Grammont targeted several Spanish forts, including Trujillo, Gibraltar, La Guaira, Cumana, Veracruz, and Puerto Cabello.
He achieved many victories during his career, but in 1686, his pirating exploits came to a sudden halt. That April, he embarked on a raid with a French pirate named Nicolas Brigaut. When Brigaut was captured, he sent a message urging Grammont to rescue him.
However, Grammont's rescue attempt never succeeded. He and his crew were caught in a storm during the journey and vanished without a trace.
2. John Coxon
John Coxon was a pirate who spent his life wreaking havoc on Santa Marta, Colombia, in the Caribbean. He is believed to have begun his operations around 1677, dedicating much of his time to looting and pillaging the region.
This continued until around 1688. That year, after being granted a pardon by Jamaican authorities, John Coxon disappeared without a trace. Despite extensive efforts to uncover his fate, no one knows what happened to him or his ship.
The sole hint about John's disappearance comes from accounts by some of his crew. They mentioned that Coxon's ship was excessively heavy, suggesting it may have sunk under its own weight, taking the captain and his vessel with it.
1. Dirk de Lange
Dirk de Lange commanded the Ridderschap van Holland, a merchant ship built for trade in the East Indies. While most of its voyages were successful, one ill-fated journey resulted in the disappearance of the ship, its captain, and the entire crew.
In 1694, Dirk de Lange, along with his crew and ship, embarked on their fifth voyage to Indonesia. They briefly stopped at Cape Good Hope before resuming their journey. However, after leaving the cape, the ship vanished without a trace.
With no evidence of the ship's fate or the crew's whereabouts, Dirk de Lange was officially declared lost at sea. Some historians believe the crew may have been seized by pirates, while others theorize the ship sank near Western Australia. To this day, neither the sailors nor their belongings have been discovered.
