In my more than 20 years of seafaring, this is the first time I passed through the Strait of Magellan. Following the path taken by the intrepid navigator, Ferdinand Magellan, I can't help but feel awed by the courage that he and his crew exhibited in finding the passage west which led to the first circumnavigation of the world. Trivia: Magellan was Portuguese, but Portugal declined his proposal for an expedition. Spain funded the expedition which solidified its prestige and maritime power. Magellan was killed in the present-day Philippines by indigenous people led by Lapu-Lapu. After his death, Juan Sebastian Elcano took the lead, and completed their objective of going to Molucas (Spice Island), filling their cargo holds with cloves, and returning to Spain using the traditional westward route through the Indian Ocean, thus performing the first circumnavigation of the world.