Why was Vasco da Gama’s return voyage from India so dangerous?

Vasco da Gama’s return voyage from India was exceptionally dangerous due to a combination of poor planning, environmental challenges, and severe health crises.

Da Gama’s decision to depart at the wrong time of year forced his fleet to sail against the monsoon winds, significantly extending the duration of the journey across the Arabian Sea. This prolonged time at sea led to a devastating outbreak of scurvy among the crew, a nutritional disorder caused by a lack of vitamin C that was a leading cause of mortality on long voyages during that era.12

The human toll was extreme; by the time the expedition reached Malindi, the crew’s numbers were so depleted that da Gama was forced to burn one of his ships, the São Rafael, due to a lack of sailors to man it. Ultimately, out of the original crew of 170 men who set out from Portugal, only 55 survived the entire expedition.1