September 20, 1492—The Sargasso Sea The "weed" which Columbus noticed for the first time on September 16 occurred in a part of the Atlantic Ocean commonly referred to as the Sargasso Sea. The seaweed Columbus describes, called sargassum, consists of air bladders, to keep it afloat, and rolled leaves. It floats in huge clumps throughout the sea, but the concentration through which Columbus traveled was particularly large: over 2,000,000 square miles. The 1492 voyage to the New World spanned 35 days, 23 of which were spent in the grips of the yellowish-green seaweed. During Columbus's lifetime stories circulated concerning ships that became stuck in the seaweed, and mythical monsters that emerged from the seas and swallowed whole crews and vessels. Columbus and his men were familiar with these stories and were extremely nervous about their voyage through the still waters of the sargassum. The folklore of the sea remains today. Part of the Sargasso Sea is now known as the Bermuda Triangle.Thursday, 20 September 1492Today I changed course for the first time since departing Gomera because the wind was variable and sometimes calm. I first sailed west by north and then WNW, making 21 or 24 miles. . . . The sailors caught a little fish, and we saw much weed of the kind I have already mentioned, even more than before, stretching to the north as far as you can see. In a way this weed comforted the men, since they have concluded that it must come from some nearby land. But at the same time, it caused some of them great apprehension because in some places it was so thick that it actually held back the ships. Friday, 21 September 1492At sunrise we saw so much weed that the sea seemed to be a solid mat, coming from the west. Why do you think the presence of the seaweed brought such fears to the crew? How might Columbus have tried to dissuade his men from fearing the sargassum?
Thursday, 20 September 1492Today I changed course for the first time since departing Gomera because the wind was variable and sometimes calm. I first sailed west by north and then WNW, making 21 or 24 miles. . . . The sailors caught a little fish, and we saw much weed of the kind I have already mentioned, even more than before, stretching to the north as far as you can see. In a way this weed comforted the men, since they have concluded that it must come from some nearby land. But at the same time, it caused some of them great apprehension because in some places it was so thick that it actually held back the ships. Friday, 21 September 1492At sunrise we saw so much weed that the sea seemed to be a solid mat, coming from the west.
