Eastern Pacific High Sea

The open Pacific west of Baja California lies near the distant volcanic island of Guadalupe. In 1602 Sebastián Vizcaíno's expedition sighted the island during its exploration of the Californian coast. The ocean beyond formed part of a much larger Spanish maritime world: after Andrés de Urdaneta found a return route from the Philippines in 1565, Manila galleons crossed the North Pacific and followed the American coast south toward Acapulco.