Pedro Serrano (sailor) facts for kids

Pedro Luis Serrano, also known as Pedro de Serrano, was a Spanish sailor. He is famous for being stranded on a small desert island for about seven or eight years. This happened in the 1500s.

Most stories say he was shipwrecked in the Caribbean Sea. This was near the coast of Nicaragua in the 1520s. Serrano survived by eating shrimp, cockles, and other sea creatures. He collected rainwater in turtle shells to drink. When it did not rain, he drank the blood of turtles he caught.

Some stories say another Spanish castaway joined Serrano after three years. At first, they were scared of each other. They thought the other person might be the Devil! But they became friends when they both called out the name of Jesus Christ. The two men lived together on the island for about four years.

Rescue from the Island

Serrano and his friend were eventually saved by a ship. The ship's crew saw their smoke signal. The sailors who went to pick them up were also scared at first. They thought the men looked strange and tried to leave. But they returned and rescued the men when they heard them call out Christ's name.

Serrano's friend died on the trip back to Spain. However, Serrano made it home safely. He showed himself to people for money. He never cut his hair or beard, which had grown very long. His beard reached his waist!

The King of Spain gave Serrano 4,000 pieces of eight. This was a lot of money back then. Serrano sailed to the Americas to get the money, but he died during that journey.

Is the Story True?

Serrana Bank, an atoll in the Caribbean Sea, may have been the island where Pedro de Serrano was stranded.

The story of Pedro Serrano might be based on a real event. There was a sailor called "Maestre Joan." He was stranded on a small island, or cay, in 1528. This island is now called Serrana Bank. He was rescued eight years later.

The name Serrana Bank first appeared on a Dutch map in 1545. Other versions of Serrano's story say the events happened in the Pacific Ocean. They say it was off the coast of Peru as late as the 1540s.

There is some doubt about how much of the tale is true. The oldest known source for the story is a book. It is called Comentarios Reales de los Incas. This book was written by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega in 1609.

See also

• Alexander Selkirk, an 18th-century Scottish castaway