Archaeologists Discover Shipwreck From Vasco Da Gama’s Last Indian Ocean Voyage

In a remarkable discovery, researchers may have found the ship that carried the famous Portuguese explorer on his last voyage to the Indian Ocean.

Located near Malindi, Kenya, the shipwreck has attracted the attention of many archaeologists. Although the ship was discovered in 2013 on a coral reef about 500 meters off the coast of Kenya, it sank 500 years ago and maybe Vasco da Gama’s ship, the São Jorge.

Scholars from the University of Coimbra, the National Museums of Kenya, and the Bergen Maritime Museum are working to identify the ship.

Many artifacts were found in the shipwreck, and the findings were published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology. Notable artifacts in the wreck include ivory, copper alloys, and wood from the hull.

Vasco da Gama opened a route from Europe to the Indian Ocean and was the first to discover a sea route connecting Europe and Africa. He was also the first to round the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, thus opening up Portuguese trade in the Indian Ocean.

Vasco da Gama crossed the Indian Ocean four times, the last of which was in 1524, with a fleet of 20 ships, including the São Jorge.

The São Jorge later sank in 1524, before da Gama’s death. According to researchers, it is one of the earliest shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean.

Researchers say the tentative dating of the artifacts suggests the ship was on a voyage to India.

To confirm that this is da Gama’s ship, archaeologists will survey the nearby coral reefs stretching 25 kilometers from Malindi to Cape Las Ngomene.

There are many Portuguese shipwrecks in and around Malindi. In the 16th century, the Portuguese began building sailing ships that could be used for warfare and ocean exploration. They had 3 or 4 masts and could be equipped with cannons. The design was copied from Europe and changed the course of European expansion.