A Portuguese fleet commanded by Tristão da Cunha with Afonso de Albuquerque lands in 1507 on the mountainous island of Socotra, situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean, and captures the port of Suq after a stiff battle.

Their objective is to set a base in a strategic place on the route to India, and to liberate the presumed friendly Christians from Islamic rule.

Tomás Fernandes starts to build a fortress at Suq, the Forte de São Miguel de Socotorá.

However, the infertility of the land leads to famine and sickness in the garrison.

Moreover, the lack of a proper harbor for wintering leads to the loss of many moored Portuguese ships, the most important of which is the Santo António galleon under the command of captain Manuel Pais da Veiga.