Bacalao (phantom island) facts for kids
Bacalao, also known as Bacallao or Terra do Bacalhau, was a mysterious "phantom island" that appeared on many Portuguese maps and sea charts in the early 1500s. A phantom island is a piece of land that was once believed to exist but was later found not to be real. The name "Bacalao" first showed up on a map in 1508. The word "bacalhau" means "cod fish" or "stockfish" (dried cod).
What Was Bacalao?
Bacalao was thought to be an island in the Atlantic Ocean. It was named after the huge amounts of cod fish found in the waters around it. Sailors and mapmakers of that time often included new lands they heard about on their maps, even if they hadn't been fully explored or confirmed.
Early Stories of Discovery
Some old writings mention Bacalao. For example, a writer named Gaspar Frutuoso wrote in the 1570s that a Portuguese sailor named João Vaz Corte-Real was given land in the Azores islands by the King of Portugal. This was supposedly because Corte-Real had discovered the "Terras do Bacalhau" (Lands of the Cod Fish) in 1472.
However, historians today don't fully trust Frutuoso's writings because they contain some incorrect information. Another writer, Bartolomé de las Casas, also wrote about Portuguese trips to "Tierra de los Bacallao." Some people have wondered if Corte-Real might have reached parts of North America about 20 years before Christopher Columbus did. This is just a theory, though, and not a proven fact.
Bacalao's Real-Life Connection
Today, there is a real island off the northeast tip of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula called Baccalieu Island. This island's name, "Bacalaos," has been recorded since at least 1556. It's possible that the phantom island of Bacalao on old maps was somehow connected to this real island, or perhaps it was a mix-up of different reports from early explorers. The name reminds us of the rich fishing grounds that attracted many European sailors to these waters centuries ago.
