Here we are!500 years ago Ferdinand Magellan was first European to “discover” it, and the Spanish King named it for the explorer.Noa Victoria was his ship – a replica is here, near Punta Arenas, that we can tour.This is a map of Magellan’s expedition that was the first documented to circumnavigate the world.Prince Henry, the navigator, started the age of exploration.The navigator on the Noa VictoriaWhat other famous explores have come this way? Captain James T Cook passed this way on two of his three circumnavigation voyages in the later 1700’s.Charles Darwin sailed in the HMS Beagle through this channel, and wrote a world changing book about evolution of plants and animals from his observations.Then there was Sir Ernest Shackleton who sailed the Endurance through this strait in the process of successfully saving his men stranded on Antarctica’s Elephant Island.Very important locally, is the Golet Ancud and crew who claimed these waters on May 23, 1843 for Chile.Who else will explore these waters?
