Everything Everywhere Daily · Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Gil Eanes's successful navigation of Cape Bojador was made possible by his discovery of the Atlantic Gyre, a system of clockwise-flowing ocean currents. This understanding allowed mariners to sail south along the African coast and then west, bypassing the cape and establishing viable routes for further exploration.
“In steering his ship west into the heart of the ocean, Yanesh unknowingly found the key to understanding Atlantic Ocean exploration. The Atlantic Gyre.”
“The Gyre flows southward along the west coast of Africa, then northward and westward into the Atlantic. By sailing west, Yanesh and his crew found the Gyre that propelled them southward along the African coast, past Cape Bojador.”
“The discovery of the Atlantic Gyre is what allowed the Portuguese to navigate around Cape Bojador and establish a viable sea route around Africa to India.”