MALINDI, KENYA—A Portuguese shipwreck found near the coastal Kenyan town of Malindi in 2013 may be a ship from one of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's voyages in the Indian Ocean some 500 years ago, Live Science reports. Remnants of the vessel, which is one of eight known Portuguese shipwrecks from the era, were found some 20 feet beneath the water and about 1,600 feet from the shoreline. The explorer plotted the course from Europe to the Indian Ocean in 1497 and discovered a maritime route to Asia, setting the stage for Portugal's trading empire in the region. He made this treacherous journey three times before his death in 1524 in India, possibly from malaria. Researchers believe the ship may be the São Jorge, one of some 20 vessels in the fleet on da Gama's final voyage. It is known to have sunk in 1524, which would make it one of the earliest European shipwrecks recovered in the Indian Ocean. "The shipwreck has significant historical and symbolic value as physical testimony to the presence of Vasco da Gama's third armada in Kenyan waters," says maritime archaeologist Felipe Castro of Portugal's University of Coimbra. "This is a unique shipwreck. It's a treasure." The team uncovered timbers from the ship's hull and frame in two trenches made at the underwater site. During its original excavation, underwater archaeologists at the National Museum of Kenya also recovered copper ingots and elephant tusks. By conducting an archaeological survey of the coral reefs that span some 15 miles from Malindi to the Kenyan cape of Ras Ngomeni, Castro's team was able to verify their identification of the shipwreck as part of da Gama's last fleet. For more on evidence of Vasco da Gama's exploration, go to "Is It Esmeralda?"
