From February to March 1520, after abandoning hopes of a passage the La Plata River, Magellan’s fleet continued navigating down the South American coastline into uncharted land. Navigating blindly, they faced storms that nearly wrecked ships near Cape Corrientes and were forced to edge cautiously alongshore in search of a passage. Bitter cold winds, or pamperos, signalled winter’s onset, yet Magellan ignored his officers’ pleas to retreat north. Instead, he pressed southward, driving morale down as close calls multiplied. The crew’s encounters with unfamiliar wildlife—penguins (mistaken for “geese”) and seals (“sea-wolves”)—provided food but underscored their isolation. Storms repeatedly stranded men ashore, and tempests tore away ship structures, leaving the fleet battered. By March’s end, the fleet reached Port San Julián, a rare anchorage with shelter, food, water, and wood.