Magellan's Lost Fleet

the Patagonian coastline of Argentina is as beautiful as it is dangerous for a team of explorers its waters hold the relics of one of the most daring voyages of all time September 2015 19 a fleet of five ships set sail from Spain the target is the lucrative Spice Islands the course is uncharted their future unsure this 16th century Odyssey will have all the elements of a great adventure the stories there have everything including sex including mutinies intrigue murder through it all one man's drive will pull the expedition into infamy in doing so his name will echo around the world a circumnavigated phenomenon under dubaku's llanes ferdinand magellan a great discovery now almost 500 years later a band of modern-day adventurers are on the hunt to recapture one of Magellan's lost vessels as Santiago the Santiago is the only possible relic left of the greatest exploration armed with determination and modern technology these men will battle the same winds and waves that pull de Santiago to its grave and if they aren't careful - there's the weather conditions started to change the wind started to pick up we can actually see that we were not moving and the worst of all we lost the second boat very quickly diving is what the sea types doesn't give up very easily these modern explorers will experience the same challenges emotions and peril their counterparts did centuries earlier all in the name of discovery the search is on for Magellan's lost fleet in May of 1527 fleet is anchored in San Julian on the coast of Argentina they have been stranded here for several weeks impatiently waiting for the harsh Patagonian winter to break eager to move forward Magellan the captain general gives instructions to his smallest ship to move out on a scouting mission he orders this Santiago to sail down the coastline in hopes of finding the elusive passageway to the west Captain juan Rodriguez serrano is piloting the ship down the coast when trouble hits a storm struck serrano very skillfully took one of the spars with a piece of sail on it and used it to replace the rudder that had been washed away by the storm what they tried to do was hold their ship off as long as they could when going to shore they were being pushed in this short perhaps by tides at that point and then they fought their way looking for a place to land that ship save the ship but more importantly save the crew everyone got off except one man and that was Serrano's personal servant who was last to get off and he was about to jump ashore but he mistimed his jump and was carried away by a wave a drone as the rest of the crew dashes for sure the ship is left to the mercy of the sea the ocean waves prove overwhelming as the Santiago is pounded into pieces the crew is safe the Santiago is thought to be lost forever it is a cold dark winters night in New York City however inside 46 East 70th Street electricity is heating up the evening the building is home to the New York branch of the Explorers Club since 1904 is internationally known Society has been the meeting point and unifying force for explorers and scientists worldwide we're not interested really and people who want to go around the world in their motor climb about is somewhere unless there's a reason something that hasn't happened before that sense adds new light new scientific light but through exploration for the men and women in this room exploration isn't a thing you read about in history books it's a way of life tonight they are enjoying a farewell dinner before they head off on the adventure of a lifetime leading the way is Bob hem his resume includes pilot skydiver and world traveler hems a retired businessman who has never retired from adventure I think exploration was in my blood from being a little kid the reason you do it I think is because you want to want to see something that no one's ever seen before look at a different perspective and you get a chance to see the world no other endeavour really moves me is quite as much helm is the torch bearer for the spewed of exploration that inspired men like Columbus DeSoto and Magellan that spirit now leads him and a team from around the globe to the bottom of the world in hopes of uncovering one of history's greatest finds the Santiago the Santiago is the only possible relic left of the greatest exploration perhaps in the world so if you're an explorer it's almost like a religion that to find a piece of the Santiago it's like finding oh the Shroud of Turin the nail of the cross we don't know where we if we eventually going to find something or what we're going to find bad that's the reason we're doing all this we don't know what it's going to happen but we do it this adventure actually begins in the early 1990s when a local Argentine named Edgar Peralta makes a discovery along the Argentinian coastline in cuatro I found a large piece of wood and when I realized it wasn't just a regular stick but a piece of a mast we put it on our shoulders and carried it up to the world scientists at the Museum in ushuaia in argentina excitedly began examining the find an early carbon-dating test provides encouraging results dating the piece as early as the 16th century we used the radiocarbon dating which gave us the Year 1520 the second test came up with 15 22 so it's a very small difference but more scientific research needs to be conducted and the Argentinians look North for help and they asked us to come down from the Explorers Club to send the group a team to go down and verify this we said let's go there scout the place take samples of the mast and bring it back here and try to get them dated in the spring of 2000 that is exactly what they do armed with notebooks metal detectors and a video camera the team heads south [Music] the trip proves to be everything the team is hoped for they examine Peralta's mast and bring a sample back to the United States for more precise testing the team also takes the time to explore the cliff Layton coastline excited by what they find the team makes a decision we said we're gonna come back we got to come back it's it's a beautiful area hasn't been touched by civilization since the 1500 s or earlier so if you're looking at an area that's pristine that has a possibility of finding anything you couldn't find a better place to look and in the winter of 2002 that is what they are preparing to do in doing so they pay homage to the man who led the most daring voyage of his time Ferdinand Magellan for a future Explorer there are a few better places to be born than in Portugal in the 1400s those small in size the country is a leader in nautical exploration during a period historians have come to call the age of discovery Val de Portugal at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the sixteenth century was very influential in Europe even though it had small dimensions eighty-nine thousand square kilometers influence it was a highly respected country due to the impact of its discoveries it is into this seafaring nation that Fornaio mega Yanis is born in approximately fourteen eighty the man the english-speaking world would come to know as ferdinand magellan lives in northern portugal a member of a family of minor nobility this small rank of nobility provides the young Magellan with unique opportunity to serve as a page in the Queens Court pages served what we would view almost as an internship or an apprenticeship at the Royal Courts in his formative years in his teenage years he would have seen all of the excitement about global exploration from the Portuguese point of view it is during this time as a page that Magellan first encounters Manuel the Queen's brother who supervises the pages instantly the to develop a relationship it was a poisonous relationship Magellan's family belonged to an element that opposed the royal aspirations of a Noelle's family so that was one of the misfortunes of timing for Magellan was that he came under the guidance of a man who hated his family it is a hatred that will never fade and will forever changed the course of history [Music] his time as a page fuels Magellan's desires to sail the seas impatiently he awaits his opportunity it comes in 1505 in part thanks to his old nemesis Manuel was ascended to the throne of Portugal [Music] people have said that King Manuel desired to be the Emperor of the were a kilometer he wanted prestige in all the world in Europe and considered himself a monarch with imperial ideas the symbol was the sphere the sphere representing the world a fairy the war King Manuel's desire for expansion is heightened when the Portuguese established trade routes around Africa to India seeing the potential for huge profits in power he organizes a 22 ship Armada in hopes of gaining control of the Indian Ocean in need of sailors to fill the Armada King Manuel allows Magellan to join the fleet when he did he took full advantage of it he proved himself a fearless warrior when they were involved in sea battles on land the lowly seaman whose name doesn't even appear in early ship logs quickly climbs the ranks as he sails with the fleet Magellan gains invaluable experience and information the knowledge he learns lead seemed to believe that the lucrative Spice Islands are reachable by sailing west the islands also known as the Moluccas are located in the Central East Indies in the 16th century few things can match the value of the spices these islands have to offer you have to realize that there was no refrigeration in those days and that is very difficult to keep meat for any length of time so it was known that some of the Far Eastern spices were very good at preserving meats and for this they became extremely valuable spices became more valuable by weight than gold magellan longs to put his theory to the test if he's right it could mean a faster route to the east and in turn more profits for the Portuguese for Hill there is glory and respect to be won in 1515 he returns to Lisbon in hopes of gaining an audience with King Manuel his desire is twofold to ask for a raise and to lay the groundwork for a potential voyage Portugal already had a perfectly viable route around Africa to India so for the Portuguese the notion of sailing westward to find anything was a non-starter it was simply not an appealing notion to them in addition to this they were the factors that Don Manuel of Portugal had already had experience of Magellan and the king was simply tired of this constant pestering for great higher allowances and therefore wasn't terribly prone actually to favor Magellan stunned by the Kings icy reaction Magellan makes a drastic move to save his dream and his future he asks the King that he be allowed to take his services elsewhere a disinterested King Manuel responds that Magellan may do whatever he pleases with his freedom granted Magellan makes one last attempt to save face in a sign of respect he moves forward to kiss King Manuel's hand in one last act of disrespect Manuel pulls his hand back the King finally considered him a terrible pest and eventually insulted him to the point where Magellan was driven from the court with all the courtiers around laughing at him insulted but not deterred Magellan is firm in his belief that the Spice Islands are reachable by sailing west Columbus has seen new world bill Bowa has seen the Pacific Ocean it is Magellan who believes in the unseen a passageway through the Americas that would lead to the great ocean now he just has to find someone to believe [Music] upon returning from Patagonia Explorers Club members are determined to go back with a search team however before any divers hit the water there is work to be done team members immersed themselves in research hoping to develop a picture of what exactly happened onboard the Santiago planning for an expedition is a lot of work and you should get involved in a lot of history and we looked at all the parts and pieces we could find that would give us that story while historians differ over the exact details of the Santiago's demise surprisingly most agree on one thing where the ship went down they all agree that the distance was three leagues from the mouth of the Santa Cruz River to the plate of the wreckage and three leagues is about ten point three nautical miles 17 kilometers we said okay let's get that 10 mile point and say let's go a little bit south of that a little bit north of that and we have a game plan there while historical evidence points to the 10 mile point there is still the question of Peralta's mast to be answered the mast was found several miles further south should that area be searched the question is answered when the carbon dating results of the mast come back more exact testing dates the piece in the 1600s it isn't the Santiago the team members haven't arrived yet in Patagonia and already they have checked off one potential area as one door closes however another opens just days before they prepare to leave for Argentina the expedition gets a surprise from team member Alberto sacrum oh so already in Argentina Roberto called us and said listen I just found this guy that he is completely sure that he found a Santiago Mariel Hernandez a quiet native of Santa Cruz has spent endless hours researching the history of Magellan's voyage especially the voyage of the Santiago and initially he was very shy about telling us something and finally he opened himself and said listen I'm going to show you displays the secret place this place that I know it is Palace until this mean for 2014 the Santiago is very important because not only is it a cultural treasure for our town and region it is also a treasure for all humanity but who is available for a fun yeah Hernandez has spent countless morning's walking the beaches looking for ship debris that washes up on shore there isn't much entertainment in my town but a few friends would get together and walk around the coast as we did we began to find pieces of wood Mario is positive he knows the location of the Santiago he points to an area the locals call the bay of Santiago his site however is a few miles south of where the historical data points team leaders must make a decision should they stick with their original game plan or follow local legend this guy was completely he's local he was a local historian as well so we said okay let's give this place a try the plan is to search the local site first then move camp and search the historical site to help in their hunt the Explorers Club is taking along a pair of world-class divers we have two top divers that we knew both cold water divers living in Mexico with dry suits and plenty of experience I've worked in British Columbia I started off diving in the Maldives Pacific Northwest south coast of England Hawaii Egypt Thailand with the divers now aboard the question is raised what exactly are they looking for I think one of the misconceptions the general public sometimes have about shipwrecks is that when they sink they just go down upright and they're sitting on the bottom perfectly preserved obviously that's not the case particularly weird a ship that's five hundred years old what you hope to find is anything you can find at that point in this case would probably be heavy metal objects like cannon cannon balls which they used for ballast perhaps the iron cage they carried for prisoners with everything in order the team is ready to depart on the trip of a lifetime the end of the world the outback the middle of nowhere choose you're saying they all fit for where the expedition is headed Patagonia from New York City there are no direct flights or subway stops fifteen hours by air for by car and a three-mile walk over the rough Patagonian terrain are all part of the journey finally 5,000 miles in 65 hours later the team reaches the campsite they are thrilled to find that the site offers them easy access to the water and scenery worthy of a thousand post I've had an incredible staggering view we had an island in front of us that looked like a sculpture and the cliffs were were beautiful all the way down so it was a beautiful spot to be and it was well sheltered the most pleasant surprise is the weather but the weather was unbelievable that we had been there before the same time of the year the weather then was in the 40s with a wind chill down to 20s the 30s here we are and whether that's calm it's sunny while the future is bright for one expedition it is cloudy for another 480 years earlier with King Manuel's dismissal Magellan now faces an unsure future his dream of sailing west to the Spice Islands seems unreachable he begins the process of planning his next move while plotting his future Magellan is introduced to a mathematical madmen with a passion for celestial navigation his name is Rui falero he was a nut but he was a smart nut he was highly respected for his educational background and expertise and he was a competent mathematician but he was also crazy and he had a huge ego he believed that no one knows as much as he did about anything they open sea a moon to disturb me even before he knew a lot about astronomy and he taught Magellan about the dimensions of the world's severe sovereign so he was one of the greatest influences toward Magellan's project appreciated the phenomenal Y the crazy mathematician and the composed sailor make for a navigational dream team together they began to plan the voyage that will forever change the way people see the world as they work out their ideas the question still looms who will finance any proposed voyage Magellan knows there is only one obvious choice Spain he knew had also advanced greatly in exploration and in shipbuilding and he knew of course that Spain was sending out explorers and Mariners well they actively settled a new world the Spanish have yet to see any profits from their work the possibility of potential financial gains from the Spice Islands may be enough to entice the young king charles of spain to sponsor the voyage by the fall of 1517 Magellan is ready to present his plan to King Charles to do so he's forced to leave behind his family friends and the country of his birth it must have been a terrible decision for him because you have to realize that even minor nobility had a tremendous sense of pride and duty it must have been agonizing from the gentleman to renounce his Portuguese citizenship determined and this is the hallmark of the genius of so many people that they will not take no for an answer with Portugal behind him Magellan crosses the Spanish countryside and settles in Seville here he establishes business contacts with people interested in helping him in return for a piece of the potential profits in February of 1518 Magellan and his party travelled to via delayed Spain and await an opportunity to meet with King Charles they won't have to wait long shortly after meeting with the Kings Court they are granted an audience with the king himself the quick turnaround time may have something to do with a member of the court who sees a potential gain in Magellan's voyage Bishop Fonseca was bishop of Burgos he was in other words very close to the center of power so Fonseca was in a position to help people or not to help them as he saw fit he was the one to whom the King turned for all advice on overseas matters and this included administration it included exploration it included the allocation of resources and so he was critically important to anybody and in the case of Magellan he smoothed the way for Magellan and his Portuguese partners to get an entree to see the new king but fun suckas support comes at a price bishop default Seca was a very sly scheming conniving man Bishop Fonseca was evidently a very good businessman in addition to everything else and had grown wealthy in his office and by making some crucial investments so we can assume I think that he hoped to profit financially it falls to the composed Magellan to make the presentation to King Charles in a calm systematic style he lays out his plans for the voyage he didn't use fancy court language I think he was refreshing to young Charles who were surrounded by these courtiers who used all this flowery language and and always beat around the bush whenever they talked about anything I think the young king appreciated that Magellan doesn't wait long for the king's decision the 18 year old king and his court are quick cells his advisors probably so they need to essentially find a way to extract some profit from all this exploration and colonization which was not there so essentially it is a it is imperative that they find a way to reach the east because clearly so far the Americas have not produced essentially a great profit King Charles is so impressed with Magellan's presentation that he decides to financially sponsor the voyage by himself for those who have hoped to profit from the expedition this is a crushing announcement what astounded at a port Fonseca was the Charles Affairs without any reveille reservation gave her full crown backing to Magellan he had already lined up private investors who wanted to gain personal profits from the voyage so this left them unhappy shall we say so what Fonseca did then was to try to undermine the authority of Magellan for Magellan his problems lay in the future he is now consumed with preparing for the voyage he was granted the use of five ships the Trinidad San Antonio concepción and Victoria are Carrick's large cargo carrying vessels perfect for long voyages the karabell Santiago will complete the fleet as Magellan prepares the ships there is growing suspicion from Spanish officials about the crew the Portuguese Magellan is assembling there were literally dozens of voyages going out from Spain that were exploring the route across the Atlantic and the lands that Columbus had first run into so it's not all that easy to get experienced sailors for any voyage he started hiring Portuguese but when the court officials saw that large numbers of Portuguese seamen were being recruited for the fleet they got frightened they thought well maybe there's some kind of collusion between the king of Portugal and Magellan maybe this expedition will be taken over by the Portuguese and so they tried to stop him from hiring the Portuguese led by Bishop Fonseca the court agrees and places a limit on the number of Portuguese they also place Spaniards in command of three of the fleet's five ships among them is one de Cartagena a close ally of Bishop Fonseca the seeds of future trouble have been planted when the dust finally settles Magellan's crew is an international contingent made up with sailors from as far away as Italy France Asia and England among the crew of roughly 270 men is an Italian in his 20s Antonio Pigafetta is looking for an opportunity as he writes to experience the great and terrible ocean unknowingly his journal will become the most accurate account of the greatest voyage ever the Explorers Club team has arrived in Argentina ready to comb the ocean in hopes of finding the last remnants of Magellan's voyage however before the divers search the ocean the search is on for a vital piece of equipment we need to obviously fill our cylinders with air so that we can actually dive while we're diving underwater to do that we need to compressor and when we first arrived here Patagonia we were brought to the compressor that we're gonna be able to use for the project and and first of all we notice it was huge zoom size doesn't matter safety issues are the major concern it's giving the whole thing with a mounting list of problems the team passes on the compressor enter the Argentinian army to the rescue we went to our second option which was the military base and we found them very helpful and it was just amazing because we walked into a brand new compressor what started out to be a major concern ended up being resolved quite nicely this took some patience and in time as the Sun is rising so are the hopes of the team as planned they begin the hunt by searching the location recommended by the locals the beautiful weather is holding and the divers are in the water the conditions couldn't be better both above and below the surface the visibility was absolutely outstanding you can see ten feet down with no problem I was like diving in Mexico the Caribbean it was absolutely incredible I hope those waters before you never had that kind of visibility as the divers scour the bottom of the ocean they pay special attention to the numerous channels that line the ocean floor caused by the wind and the waves the channels provide a perfect hiding spot for debris these channels head out perpendicularly from the shore into deeper water and they form natural groups that you would expect things to get stuck in or wedged in particularly if things are being washed up towards the shoreline it would hit this natural barrier and then the logical thing is it gets caught in these cracks and crevices we have got these channels and some of them are 2 meters plus deep and only half a meter wide so were able to wedge ourselves down and work her way up anxious not to waste one second the divers search into the early evening hours they return to camp hungry and tired but for them it is a small sacrifice their dreams and aspirations quickly replace any discomfort ferdinand magellan has sacrificed his homeland and family all to pursue his dream proving that the Spice Islands are reachable by traveling west is his obsession he knows that by doing so he can achieve financial riches and glory beyond imagination he hope to gain what Columbus and everybody else hoped to gain concessions from the crown to develop trade to claim lands wealth fame everything that went along with that for Magellan it was very much a matter of personal ambition his final touches are being made to prepare the fleet two obstacles arise before Magellan the first comes in the form of his partner Rui faliero the unstable mathematician has been busy preparing charts and navigational information for the voyage but his temperamental behavior is getting the best of him his craziness caught up with him his behavior during the whole period of preparation was absolutely outrageous and he everyone thought this guy was a absolute cool faliero was left behind his volatile behavior too much of a risk it is now up to Magellan to single-handedly command the fleet as he prepares to move forward his past reappears his old adversary king manuel of portugal has heard about the planned voyage not interested in sharing the wealth of the Spice Islands man will react swiftly to the news oh wait oh man well Cuenco between Islamic Alliance stafa preparado mafias in Paris when King Manuel learned of Magellan's idea of being sponsored by Spain he ordered the Portuguese ambassador in Spain to do everything to convince him not to take this fear anonymity is an opposite of Eos but Magellan will have none of it he informs the Ambassador that his loyalty now lies with King Charles upon hearing this manuel moves to disrupt the voyage there was evidently debate at the portuguese court about simply having Magellan murdered before he had a chance to leave money while stationed ships at various strategic places in the Atlantic where they thought Magellan might heed for and in the hopes of intercepting them and sending them all to the bottom when Magellan expects problems from Portugal he does not foresee the impediments placed in front of him by people within Spain forces led by Bishop Fonseca continued to question Magellan's loyalty to his adopted country he had made very clear his loyalty to King Charles and that was unwavering for the rest of his life there one can't suspect him of being a traitor to the interests of the Spanish crown but it wasn't so clear at the time Charles offif stood behind Magellan made him a commended or of the order of Santiago which was very prestigious sending a very clear message to all and sundry the Magellan had the world back in August of 1519 with preparations all but complete the fleet prepares to move out the crew and their families gather for a farewell Mass in Seville the captain general Magellan steps forward to the altar the native of Portugal takes to Annie and vows his loyalty to the king of Spain his officers follow him on the altar they kneel before the gathered crowd and swear their allegiance to their captain general promising to follow the course ordered by him and to obey Him in everything their words will quickly be forgotten on the 20th of September of 1519 led by the flagship Trinidad the fleet sails out from San Luca de Barra Maeda Spain into the Atlantic Ocean years of preparation hard work and determination have brought Magellan to this point but his real work is about to begin following Magellan's orders the fleet moves down the coast of Africa and by the Canary Islands they are blessed with good weather and favourable winds their luck is about to change the fleet sailed for the first two weeks in good weather and fair winds but suddenly they were hit with gales and storms four crew member Antonio Pigafetta it is an experience to be remembered and recorded during these storms the body of st. Elmo appeared to us several times and among others on a night which was very dark at a time of bad weather they said Saint appeared in the form of a lighted torch at the height of the mean top and remained there for more than two hours and a half a comfort to us all it's a static electric phenomenon it's quite common people who go to see a lot see it it's balls of kind of ball lightning and dances around the rigging and the masts of ships during electrical storms they thought it was a manifestation of Saint Elmo the patron saint of Mariners and to them that was a good sign it was a sign of the blessing of the Saint but if the voyage is blessed there are no immediate signs of it following the storms the convoy hits a period of no winds the fleet finds itself at a virtual standstill on the high seas over a period of 20 days the ship's advance only 9 nautical miles for the crew these are excruciating ly long days trapped under the hot Sun with little to do conditions on board the ships were terrorists terrorists some of the officers live inside the ship's most of them lived on the deck no matter what the weather was but of course all this time all these men had to relieve themselves and they generally did that into the bilges and so the the power of sewage gas coming up from the bilges during this stifling no wind period must have been ungodly there is growing discontent among the crew and for the Spanish officers it provides ammunition to attack Magellan seeing an opportunity to cause trouble for their Portuguese captain general the question even louder the course they are on the most vocal of the doubters is Bishop from Sakas appointee Juan de Cartagena calmly Magellan waits he's determined not to make the first move he will wait patiently for his opponents to play their hand first he doesn't have to wait long the mostra of one of the vessels a man called salomon had been charged with sodomy Magellan convened a meeting of the skippers of all the five ships aboard the flagship on that occasion Cartagena chose to challenge Magellan's Authority openly in other words a call to mutiny a direct affront and a direct challenge that Magellan could not allow to go unanswered Magellan got up grabbed him by the shirt and told him he was under arrest Magellan had his master-at-arms clap conahey nine irons and this was precisely the sort of punishment which might have been meted out to a lower deck man that was certainly not usually applied to a noble the sight of the highest-ranking Spaniard in the stocks stuns the crew attentive Magellan knew his mission was a very dangerous one and a life-threatening so he needed to show his authority to the men the success and victory of his mission depended on his authoritative personality and his commitment not to turn back yet in a move to appease the Spaniards Magellan allows Carta HANA to be released and placed in the custody of the captain of the Victoria with Carta haina handled Magellan moves forward the winds pick up and the fleet begins to sail across the Atlantic almost three months after they have left San Lucar they spot the coast of South America on December 13 1519 the Trinidad leads the ships into Guanabara Bay the harbor at Rio de Janeiro as they enter the harbour the skies open up and it begins to rain this is a miraculous sight to the natives who have been suffering through a long drought the chance that there had been no rain for two months before we came thither and the day when we arrived the rain began so that the people of the place said that we came from heaven and had brought the rain with us which was a great simplicity Antonio Pigafetta Magellan and his men soon find their decks swarming with Indians eager to meet the men who have brought the rain the best days of the voyage are at hand [Music] there are a few tougher places on the globe than the Patagonia region of Argentina tough terrain and tough climate make for tough people Victor Lopez is a local rancher who best exemplifies the resourcefulness needed to survive here his farm contains both a road and irrigation system that he built himself it is Lopez's ranch that the team members cross to reach their campsite like everyone else the team has met Lopez is curious to see what the outsiders find I think this search is a good thing because we will learn our true history and it will bring some recognition to this region because we have been a bit forgotten on a sparkling evening Lopez opens his home to his new friends the team is treated to a barbecue Patagonian style [Music] exactly they're all this is a good example of the tremendous warmth that we felt with all the people here live in vivid terrific I like everyone on this project I wish hadn't met them earlier I wish them success on their search the first days have brought good weather and good times expedition members are hopeful that if the weather holds they will uncover the secrets of the Santiago but the fourth day at the campsite starts poorly Patagonia is home to some of the widest tidal ranges in the world the difference between low and high tide can be up to 30 feet a mist high tide leaves the divers high and dry and the Zodiac boat stuck in the mud as the tide is going out the weather is coming in the infamous winds of Patagonia have made their presence felt this weather has been kind to us but if it changes we're in deep trouble because these waves could pick up and be real rather large up to say 3 metres high it can't dive in that can't even get a boat out it appears like these winds are starting to break our camp up we gotta go and the wind ripping our lifting our kid pretty quickly once we're done here after securing the campsite the expedition leaders meet to discuss their strategy a decision is made to move the search north to the second site we thought we come here and do the dives around this area and also do some archaeological digs we've done that we've been here about four days and we've checked out all the potential locations that were indicated to us and they haven't panned out when the tide comes back in the team moves out so at this point we want to break it up and take half of the group toward the Santa Cruz River and work our way up about 10 kilometers to where the historical information says that the Santiago was actually son the good weather of the first couple of days has allowed the team to cross off the area recommended by the locals well one expedition is battling the weather another is enjoying it for Magellan's crew of approximately 270 men rio de janeiro seems like paradise there is a bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables for the crew to enjoy and the natives are more than willing to supply the men with food and trade as seaman Antonio Pigafetta later wrote in his journal for a fish hook or a knife they would offer five or six chickens a pair of geese for a comb for the king in a deck of playing cards such as we use in Italy they gave me six chickens thinking that lay had got the better of me for the natives the trinkets supplied by the sailors are priceless and they offer just about anything in exchange for them they were perfectly willing to trade with Magellan's ships and they were also very friendly in a sexual way and this was of obvious appeal to the men on the ships as well it was the best Liberty port they'd ever seen it was populated by extremely friendly Indians who wore nothing whatsoever and the women were quite attractive and the men were quite willing to sell their wives daughters anything for trinkets and yoga so the men had a ball soon the men become more interested with enjoying the company of the native women than their chores for a while their captain general sits back and lets the men sow their Wild Oats for two weeks the men enjoy everything real has to offer with winter around the corner the crew is more than willing to stay in Rio until the spring Magellan however realizes the potential dangers of this the area that we call Brazil now was clearly within the Portuguese sphere of influence so the longer Magellan and the void stayed the more risk there was of clashing with Portuguese authorities on the morning of December 26th 1519 Magellan lifts anchor and heads down the coast of South America as the fleet pulls away the sounds of crying of native girlfriends left behind fills the air the fleet will spend the next several weeks working its way south along the coastline winter begins to close in the crew finds itself battling storms daily I was a pretty rough coast along there and the weather was getting progressively worse storms were increasing and in fact several of them had damaged their ships very badly the cold weather and warm memories of Rio play with the crews emotions they plead with Magellan to return to Rio and wait out the winter Magellan will have none of it he promises King Charles a westward route to the Spice Islands anything that deviates from that goal is unacceptable Magellan understands that this is his one chance at glory he has turned his back on his homeland and has a rival King support there is no room for failure from a guillotine Ferdinand Magellan had a very strong personality he had an objective to complete and he knew if he gave up the king would not forgive him he saw a goal that would help him rise in society become wealthy become important become trusted and he pursued that ambition after weeks of misery Magellan's fleet reaches a Harbor that he calls San Julian he tells the fleet to anchor for they will be spending the winter here it will be a long winter [Music] with clear weather and perfect conditions the Explorers club team seizes the opportunity to spend the first days of their Argentinian expedition scouring the ocean floor in search of remains of Magellan's lost ship the Santiago Dave for however brings wind gusts choppy seas and a new game plan the reason we came here is because there was some local knowledge that suggested that this might be a good place to actually begin our search for de Santiago while we've been here we've been able to search a number of sites and we've checked out all the potential locations that were indicated to us and they haven't panned out we're going to get out of here with the crew has searched the shore about nine miles from Santa Cruz River so we're making camp there but Mother Nature has other ideas the 40 mile-per-hour winds that frequent Patagonia have made their presence felt the team is forced to scrap plans for a second campsite and retreats to a hotel in the nearby town of Santa Cruz additional leaders use the time to fine-tune their strategy given the weather conditions that we have a huge range and everything else anything that's left is hopefully gonna be wedged into these channels here maps are studied charts examined and strategy debated what we're hoping for is whatever got trapped before it got pushed stuff it would just be kept being pushed further and further in the weather is putting any diving on hold even though hotel isn't safe from the wind the room that just minutes ago hosted team members is now covered in glass the large picture window smashed by a gust of wind do like Magellan did throw a few anchors down and make a mad dash for the kid well the Argentinean coastguard refuses to let the team out into the Atlantic Ocean adieu grant permission for them to travel to a nearby penguin beach for expedition members it is an opportunity to see up close what Magellan and his crew experienced centuries before the Penguins that we saw there call Magellan penguins Magellan penguins and you can only imagine what they thought about these birds when they saw them for the first time we discovered two islands full of geese and Gosling's and these Gosling's are black and have feathers over the whole body of the same size and fashion and they do not fly and they live on fish and they are so fat we do not pluck them but skin them and they have a beak like a crows and Tony Opie of it under the sea the divers are joined by sea lions and commerson dolphins [Music] usually you see it with my necklace or somebody will point it in this case we were so lucky that probably the whole trip we were completely surrounded with these dolphins we can even touch them it definitely make the whole trip a lot more interesting for the members of the expedition interacting with the wildlife isn't how they planned on spending their time in Argentina while frustrating team members understand the power of the sea anytime you're dealing with the ocean you have to respect is very powerful force these modern explorers aren't the only ones who have learned the force of the Patagonian weather in April of 1520 Magellan's fleet is stationed in Port San Julian their mission of discovering a westward route to the Spice Islands on hold until the harsh winter breaks I was a pretty rough coast along there and the weather was getting progressively worse storms were increasing and in fact several of them have damaged their ships very badly horrendous basically once you get south of about 40 degrees south you pick up these beginnings of the Roaring Forties these horrible horrible westerly winds and they were fairly devastating for these little ships and when they did encounter the opening at Port st. Julian why it was it was a blessing from Magellan because the ships were pretty well beaten up by the time they got down the men are also beaten up the cry goes up to return to Spain Magellan the captain general refuses Magellan's determination is is part of the story of the greatness of the man Magellan was a very very tough uncompromising fellow and he knew he was charged with going to the Spice Islands by the West and nothing was going to stop him the Castilian skippers decided that this was time if they were ever going to get rid of this nut who was heading the expedition way they'd better do it now under the cover of night Magellan's old adversary reappears one day cartagena conspires with officers aboard the concepción and victoria to take control of the two ships before sunrise mutineers take the San Antonio by force a sleeping Magellan has no idea that three of the fleet's five ships are now out of his control Magellan learnt of it and instead of using force he used guile the captain general cool he puts his counter plan into motion he sends a longboat to the Victoria with a message as the mutineer leaders read Magellan's note the signal is given soon the deck is swarming with Magellan loyalists and the ship is taken back sir the tables were now in Magellan's favor three two two and what he was able to do was to take the Victoria latrine daddy and the Santiago and blockade the port so the other two vessels could not get house the San Antonio then tried to make a run for it and the Castilian skipper made a damn fool of himself and they they got nowhere with it and then the other ship surrendered so if the Newton he was very capably and a bleep put down by a man who knew his naval tactics with a fleet again under his control Magellan sets out to discipline the conspirators weary of Carta Hannah's connections back in Spain Magellan once again spares him Carta Hanna is sentenced to be confined to his quarters he doesn't go quietly shortly after being sentenced Carta Hanna and a fleet chaplain are found trying to incite another mutiny this time Magellan shows no leniency both men are sentenced to be marooned with the Carta haina problem resolved Magellan turns his focus to solving the crews supply shortage the captain general sends out the Santiago to look for food as the Santiago sails down the coast disaster strikes on May 22nd 15 22 they got hit at some point by a squall storm they made for land they drag their anchors they hit the shoreline and they at least were saved the crew survives finding an escape route through the cliff filled beach in the dead of winter the men make it back to the santa cruz river Serrano then selects two men to Trek over the Patagonian badlands back to San Julian and the fleet when they arrived at Port Saint Julian their former shipmates didn't recognize him they were so gaunt and emaciated but as soon as Magellan found out that this had happened he sent an Overland expedition and loaded with food and supplies and everything and they were able to make it the crew of the Santiago aren't the only ones making an appearance in San Julian four crew member Antonio Pigafetta it is a sight to behold one day without anyone expecting it we thought a giant was unsure quite naked and who danced and leaped and sang and while he sang he threw sand and dust on his head the peoples of Patagonia were quite tall very tall in fact probably close to six feet tall in our reckoning but Europeans were not very tall at that so to see anyone that tall would have been noteworthy the natives capture the fascination of the crew including Magellan his eyes are drawn to their feet which are wrapped in guanaco skin he said that they were dog footed and in Spanish that comes out to something like that agonies and so to this day that area is called Patagonia and the people that live there I called Patagonian in August 1520 the fleet finally heads out of San Julian headed towards Santa Cruz before they leave Magellan takes care of one last piece of business they put Carta Hanna and the priest in a longboat and rode him out to a little island right near the entrance I guess and just abandoned them there [Music] santa cruz allows the fleet to replenish supplies they will be needed tough times lie straight ahead [Music] after several disappointing days things are looking up for the expedition party they wake to a break in the weather place that we are going to dive with only a few days left in the expedition team members are anxious to carry on the search for the Santiago spirits are high as they head out of port escorted by one of the smaller zodiacs the boat with the divers makes its way down the Santa Cruz River into the Atlantic Ocean but as the team cruises for the search sight trouble is on the horizon the way the conditions started to change in the winds start to pick up and the waves were very heavy in a matter of half an hour the work condition worked very bad well hungry to hunt the team members are respectful of the power of the ocean a decision is made we decided to turn back but we said safety it's not good I mean we're not going to dive as they head back the Zodiac boat falls out of sight we started looking for it but it was impossible because the waves were very high anxious team members scan the water looking for the lost vessel suddenly the Santiago is an afterthought the zodiac has become the true focus of the search with its engines at full power the big boat struggles to make it back to port and safety the force of the river current makes for slow going we can even move we can actually see that we were not moving it was touch-and-go the zodiac is still nowhere in sight the crew is hopeful that their comrades have stuck close to shore thus allowing access to the beach in case of an emergency we get back to port and then appeared in appeared in appear so we call the Coast Guard things that started getting a little bit nervous everybody was nervous about where they were as team members prepare a search party a black dot appears on the horizon it's the zodiac safely ashore there is a relieved exchange of stories what it actually happened is as they got held up on shore the waves were strong on shore as well and they had some engine problems and they they got stranded on the beach for for a while for the crew of the expedition the day brings a new appreciation for what Magellan's fleet faced centuries before we're talking about a wreck that happened 500 years ago they don't have all the modern aids that we've got satellite navigation outboard motors dry suits those guys we're doing an amazing thing that was circumnavigating the world for the first time ever they were true explorers in the real sense of the word October of 1520 Spring has finally sprung in Argentina with supplies replenished and repairs made Magellan moves his fleet out of santa cruz and down the coastline if you can just imagine these rather bleak coasts of them once you get south of Cabo San Julian it's miserable it's cold it's hostile it's windy and there seems no way through they are sailing where no European has ever sailed looking for a passageway they aren't even sure exists there are no maps charts or graphs just the captain generals instincts shortly after passing the latitude of 52 degrees south those instincts pay off the fleet spots an opening Magellan was anxious to find out whether the passage way ahead of them kept going to the west so he sent the concepción and the San Antonio on a scouting expedition and another storm arose they must have been terrifying huge waves incredible very fickle winds going 220 miles an hour ships heeling over everyone terrified thinking we're going to die Magellan is fearful that the two ships have been lost he nervously waits for a sign of them we thought indeed that they had perished first because of the great storm and then we had not seen them for two days and while in suspense we saw the two ships approaching under full sail their banners coming toward us Antonio Pigafetta they've obviously been somewhere because their decks are covered with bunting all the sailors are out on the deck they're cheering one another and when they come close to each other they tell the story their story is the one the crew has been dreaming of a year into their voyage they have found the passageway so suddenly from a big despondent and depressed demoralized the people on these four ships are enjoying i'm absolutely overjoyed Magellan orders the fleet to move forward but as they enter the Straits it becomes obvious that this will be no pleasure cruise for the crew of the San Antonio the wind and coal are too much as the ship ventures out on a scouting mission pilot gomez expresses concern to his shipmates it's this pilot who rallies the other officers on the ship when they are sent to explore a side channel of the Strait and calls up all of their old fears gomez told the officers in the crew look this captain general is out of his mind we're all going to die a frozen death they simply voted to turn around and sail back to Iberia this was very serious because it was the largest ship in the fleet and carried many of the supplies that they knew they would need collectively as Magellan's fleet continues their voyage the san antonio makes it safely back to spain their crew members at vilify Magellan before the Kings Court when they got back it was incumbent upon them to blacken the name of Magellan otherwise they couldn't justify the fact that they had deserted a voyage in the King's name and so blackened his name they did they accused him of cruelty of brutality and worse Magellan assumes the San Antonio is gone and with it his reputation he understands that the only way to win back his name is to return to Spain with a fleet load of riches to do that he first must make it through with the passageway the Straits of Magellan a fascinating by the changing scenery you can never relax though that can become a sudden storms very localized storms you can actually see them coming across the water to you there are a hundred potential routes through the Strait most of them blind alleys of course it is also extraordinarily difficult in terms of weather there can be horrible storms in the Strait it's it's a terrifying passage at the best of times 38 days after entering the Straits the fleet comes upon an opening on November 28 1520 the Straits that will forever bear his name are behind Magellan he has reached the great South Sea the weather suddenly became quiet and calm and the Sun shone and it was war and Magellan said I named this see the male Pacific or because it's a Pacific sea so he must be in quite an amazing moment and Magellan according to Pigafetta cried broke down and wept and to think of this extraordinarily tough captain who'd been through so much all of his life breaking down and weeping you can imagine what sort of tension he must have been under he could finally see success at the end of all his troubles he thought he was three quarters of the way home so he sailed brimming with confidence out of this straight they have no idea that their journey isn't even half over for most patience is a virtue in Patagonia it is a necessity well technology has improved over the centuries it is still no match for mother nature one of the things that you learn very quickly diving is what the sea takes she doesn't give up very easily and she has a lot of secrets and mysteries Steve and I are used to spending a lot of time underwater we're prepared to spend hours a day in a day six hours plus whatever it takes and were equipped physically mentally and every other way in order to do that and we haven't been able to we've tried to take every opportunity that we could but at the same time you have to understand that just because time is running out you can't make poor decisions it's always safety first and you have to take those frustrations in your stride an O'Day hasn't brought new weather the Coast Guard once again denies permission for the team to leave port with time evaporating expedition leaders decide to attack the second site by land the plan is to hike to the area and examine it with their own eyes expedition members are eager to see if the historical site contains the necessary escape routes that would provide a way out for the crew of the Santiago you cannot underestimate the need for an escape route because even a wall 10 to 15 20 feet high which was minor-league in that area I mean we're talking about Walczak up three or four hundred feet so it was critical that we find a place where we could get down but also easily get out of so that we could find out whether that that was possible then up hills down gullies and through the mud a team treks over the same rough terrain that the Santiago survivors crossed to reach safety you're walking in the same path the same route as somebody 500 years ago and I can only imagine what it will be for them to walk that terrain in those conditions with no food and in winter it's not easy [Music] the second site is actually two sites in one separated by less than a mile the team arrives at the first part of the site and is thrilled at what they find the drop-off at this point from here is about six feet only maybe six and a half feet which would be no problem for 36 men you know having been shipwrecked with lumber and so forth from the ship to get up here and out the other place maybe even better the second half of the site doesn't disappoint either it also offers an escape route well this is beautiful summer conditions I can't imagine what it was like when the ship actually crashed and these guys had to navigate this terrain sub-zero temperatures this is the second place that has the exit point there are no others within that 10 mile of magic range they talked about so we should be in the right spot and what we want to do is really died this place if we can tomorrow this these two spots thoroughly and see if we could pick up whatever we can in the way of the past history of the Santiago confident that they have found the site where the Santiago went down the team was now crossed their fingers that the weather will allow them the chance to search the waters Magellan's fleet has suffered through the loss of dozens of men and two of its ships but now there is hope the straits of magellan are behind them and the captain general believes the Spice Islands are close by he only thought that they were perhaps a few hundred or the most thousands or so miles away they thought it would take maybe three or five days to get to the Spice Islands three or five days quickly turns into three months the high spirits that came with reaching the Pacific quickly diminishes as does the food supply we ate only old biscuits turned to powder all full of worms and stinking of the urine which the rats had made on it having eaten the good and we drank water impure and yellow and of the rats which was sold for half an acre apiece some of us could not get enough Antonio Pigafetta the Pacific Ocean is littered with islands every single one they managed to miss some of them may only twenty and thirty miles and if you imagine how nice it would have been if they had stopped it Tahiti and you know breadfruit and pretty girls and water and all of their troubles would have been over the dream began to fade Magellan who always believed in himself had still at this point even had to convince himself that it was just one more day just one more day and he had to convince the men of this as well finally their luck changes they spot two islands what we know today is Guam and rota the initial joy at finding the islands is short-lived before they know what hits them the fleet is surrounded by natives and canoes in minutes the ship decks are swarming with Islanders looting the vessels among the items stolen is one of Magellan's long boats the loss of the skiff is too much for the captain general to swallow he being very angry went ashore with forty armed men and burning some 40 or 50 houses with several boats and killing seven men of the said island they recovered this skiff Antonio Pigafetta with his boat recovered Magellan and the fleet quickly leave but not before he names the islands islas de ladrones the Isle of Thieves back on the high seas the fleet is once again in search of land it comes only a few days later as they hit the Philippines after island hopping they pull into the harbor at the Isle of Cebu they are warmly greeted by the natives listening to the advice of his advisors island leader Rajah Humabon quick laborer friends Magellan whom Obon is especially intrigued by the captain generals religious evangelism that's something that we don't usually read about Magellan but it was a very important part of his enterprise not only to to him but also to the king of Spain this was as part of the whole enterprise of going overseas was to bring the word of Christ to people's who had not yet heard of Christianity he manages to persuade achieve and leading people that indeed they should be baptized a ceremony is held a platform built on Easter Sunday over 800 natives will be baptized the captain generals religious fervor continues to grow over the next several days as hundreds more are converted he thought that the Virgin Mary must be sitting on his shoulder and guiding him so that he could do no wrong so he let his guard down completely and he just went overboard and became a passionate missionary believing that he is doing God's work the captain general develops a feeling of invincibility so confident is Magellan that he brags that he can even make houma bonds bitter enemies on the nearby island of Mactan recognized the Christian King Charles as their leader when notified of Magellan's intentions Mactan leader lapu-lapu is less than impressed lapu-lapu said he wasn't having any of this bowing to the religious demands of an alien white man and he was going to stand up for the rights of the local people so my gentleman said well he said I'll take care of that guy and I'll show you the real force of Spanish arms and I've had experience with this guy that attacked him many times and I've always failed do you better watch this guy Magellan rather uncharacteristically in a way loses a sense of balance loses a sense of good judgment and an error allows almost a jingoism and a sense of European superiority blinded by his religious passions Magellan leads a force of 60 men to Mactan for a surprise attack it is the worst decision of his life they arrive at low tide thus not able to land the men dressed in armor wade through the water to make it to shore they are greeted by a force of 3000 they fired at us so many arrows and Lance's of bamboo tipped with iron and pointed steaks hardened by fire and stones that we could hardly defend ourselves seeing this the captain sent some of his men to burn the houses of these people in order to frighten them whose seeing their houses burning became bolder and more furious I'm Tonio Peter Peter Magellan realized that they were in deep trouble so he ordered them to retreat and he himself being the leader and I haven't gotten them into that he felt responsible for it so he he was in the vanguard of the of the men trying to hold off these howling savages as his men make their way back to safety Magellan stands in the water's edge battling the surging natives suddenly he is hit in the leg by a poisonous arrow as the injured leader collapses into the waters the Mactan warriors pounce bludgeoning Magellan with their spears the man who had willed the voyage to this point is gone for the crew it is an overwhelming loss they were devastated because he represented the strength of will and the knowledge to bring him safely back home without him there was no central control or command left I mean the body was without a head I hope that the renown of so valiant and noble a captain will not be extinguished or fall into oblivion in our time and that that is true was seen openly for no other had so much natural talent boldness or knowledge to sail once around the world as he already planned Antonio Pigafetta but the fleet's troubles are far from over Rajah Humabon decides his new friends are more trouble than they're worth four days after Magellan's death he invites the remaining officers to a feast the idea was to dispatch them get them drunk and then kill them all while the officers are enjoying the banquet the signal is given a men are attacked their throats cut [Music] the surviving men quickly prepared to escape from Cebu only to find their concepción too worn down to sail the concepción is set ablaze as the two remaining ships head out in less than a week the fleet has lost one of its ships several of its skilled officers and the one man who has carried his men more than halfway around the world and they are still over 10,000 miles from home it has been over a year and a half since Magellan's fleet of five ships sailed out of seville a voyage with aspirations of riches and glory has been filled with pain and misery despite these hardships the crew carries on inspired by the memory of their late captain General Magellan but amazingly they pull themselves together essentially saying what would he have liked us to do they determined that they would see it through to the end because that's what our leader as they put it would have required would have wished of us after months of drifting aimlessly around the Pacific Ocean the remaining fleet discovers its long-awaited target we discovered four high islands to the east and this our pilot who have remained with us said that these four islands were Malka wherefore we gave thanks to God and for our great joy discharged all our artillery Antonio P Herrera the Moluccas otherwise known as the Spice Islands the spice rich land Magellan had dreamed of King Charles had desired and the men had prayed for our now in sight the ecstatic fleet enters the harbor in the island of T Dory where they are warmly greeted by the Islanders for the 107 remaining men these are the best time since Rio 23 months earlier they found the people were extremely friendly they were quite willing to trade with him there was a delightful place and indeed they found the source of infinite wealth you knew it just when you saw it the clothes did not make the mace they spent that time very constructively they're making treaties with all a little rasa from each Island and they were just loading the ship's they crammed the holes of these ships with with clothes so crammed are the ships that when the Victoria and Trinidad go to leave there is a problem this ship named Victoria made sail and stood out a little awaiting the ship Trinidad but the latter not being able to weigh anchor quickly sprang a leak in her bottom we began diligently to lighten the Trinidad to see whether we could repair her Antonio Pigafetta with monsoon season coming the Victoria can't wait for the Trinidad to be fixed it moves out under Captain Juan Sebastian del caño the Trinidad will never make it out of the Pacific after repairs the ship sets sail for Spain but lacking able pilots the vessel ends up drifting aimlessly around the Pacific so the Trinidad has to turn back some of the men die they eventually are captured by Portuguese authorities in the East Indies now there is only one ship left the Victoria it is loaded with both spices and disease but by the time they got off the coast of Africa they were running short of fresh water and fresh vegetables necessary to keep the men healthy and prevent them from getting scurvy they had no source of vitamin C and so their teeth started getting loose in their sockets they began to get enormous boils they began to suffer from melancholia and depression and died captaining the Victoria is one sebastian del caño just months earlier he was one of the mutineers in san julian now he leads the last remaining ship of the fleet once a bus CN del caño was a basque mariner of a lot of experience he was a rough sort he wasn't the first choice for a leader after Magellan died but everyone else fell by the wayside one way or another in May of 15 22 the crew is once again at a breaking point they have just passed around the Cape of Good Hope and are continuing up the African coast they have ventured over 30,000 miles and many will not live through the final stages then we sailed Northwest for two months continually without taking any refreshment or repose and in that short space of time 21 of our men and if God had not given us good weather we should all have died of hunger at length constrained by our great need we went to the islands of Cape Verde Antonio Pigafetta the problem is that the Cape Verde Islands fall under Portuguese control despite the risk del caño anchors the Victorian sends 13 men ashore pretending to be from a merchant ship the men goes searching for supplies and food he managed to get some provisions from them without his cover being blown but then it appears that one of his men whilst they were trading in the Cape faraday's offered to pay with spices and immediately the local leadership was on the alert and actually arrested his men with her cover blown the Victoria takes off the men ashore are left behind finally on Monday the 8th of September 1520 to the victorious sails into Seville there we discharged all the artillery and on Tuesday we went in our shirts and barefoot and each with a torch in hand to visit the shrine of santa maria de la victoria Antonio Pigafetta of the 270 men who departed with Magellan there are just 18 left to carry torches that night they are sick emaciated and heroes none more so than the returning captain del caño the King was obviously very happy to have the voyage returned successfully Cano was very clear that he was the first to have circumnavigated the globe and claimed this Sebastian del caño was was fated he was given the most wonderful coat of arms which had the spices which had nutmegs and ships and anchors it's a wonderfully gaudy thing he was also more importantly given a globe of the world tricked out in gold and diamonds with the motto premise circum deadest a may on it thou first circumnavigated meet forgotten in the celebration is the man whose dream launched the voyage ferdinand magellan it would take years for historians to separate fact from fiction and in doing so give Magellan the legacy he deserved [Music] close to 500 years later a crew of men are trying to add to that legacy by uncovering the Santiago with only one day left in their expedition the team is still optimistic that they can unravel the mystery if the early morning skies are any indication today is promising the skies are clear and the winds low eager to make the most of the day team members awake early to attempt a new approach to the search we rented a plane at a pilot and we decided that the only time we could fly that route was like 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning before the winds came up we make the same route as serrano did with his beloved sister and tail we came up from Santa Cruz with the plane and we flew over the whole coast it was perfect there the light gave us the shadows so that we can clearly see canyons and any break in the walls we were close we were at the right angle and we could capture both the water the beach the cliffs and the Highlands the entire stretch the view confirm is what the team saw from ground level there are only a handful of escape routes from the ocean and more importantly the only ones near the 10 mile point are the ones they have targeted at the second site what we have in a sense is a checkoff it has to be within a four to five loud they walk and it has to be about about ten nautical miles we just happen to find the only place that measures up we energize by what they learn from their flight expedition members are eager to hit the water as they leave port they are hopeful it with a full day of diving they can unlock the secrets of the Santiago however the anticipation is short-lived we're all pretty optimistic that finally we're gonna get this office to the very last day and lo and behold we were again denied access to the site this time it was large ocean swells you come here with high hopes and you come here with a good team and all the technology and everything to do it right but if we don't have a little bit of luck with the weather then unfortunately it it can mean that try as you might you can't quite get the job done well disappointed that they are unable to locate any wreckage team members take pride in what they accomplished I believe we found the spot where the Santiago wrecked now whether there's anything in those ravines out in the waters we don't know but certainly worthwhile going back to find out at least we know the location there's always another day the recs been here 500 years it's going to be here a lot longer we can always come back it's been some more time just some more diving an attempt to find it again for Explorers Club members the joy isn't just in the results but in the expedition itself [Music] the same can be said for the Odyssey of Magellan centuries earlier the westward passage to the Spice Islands never proved feasible the route to rough and treacherous Magellan's voyage itself proved to be far less financially rewarding than hoped the cargo of the Victoria barely paid for the expedition the personal glory and fame Magellan had dreamt of appeared to vanish on the shores of Mactan yet close to five centuries later these details are mostly forgotten it is the bravery and the spirit of the man who led the voyage that is remembered his legacy is enormous because for the first time it gave us an appreciation of the shape and size of our world it was brave he has imagination he also showed how very difficult that westward route around the landmass was the Strait of Magellan is not easy an extraordinary determined men unflinching courage a man who set new boundaries for himself there was like opening a book and in his encyclopedia or this beautiful set of maps in it to a student who doesn't know any of these things Magellan gave this to the world without knowing it that wasn't his objective but he did it and we have to respect him for that hello I'm solely Chen from Hong Kong hi I'm John Shepherd in San Francisco California hi I'm sure your family from Dubai UAE and you're watching history international hi I'm so hung from Dubai in the UAE lion's mane town from Sydney Australia hello my name is Armando cugino in San Francisco California and you're watching history international

Channel: Nowhere Man

Views: 543,206

Rating: 4.5010481 out of 5

Keywords: New World, Columbus, Age of Discovery, Magellan, 16th Century, Shipwrecks

Id: oU6KFI3tcYE

Length: 90min 4sec (5404 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 31 2018