The list of shipwrecks in the 16th century includes ships sunk, wrecked or otherwise lost between (and including) the years 1501 to 1600.
1501–1510
1502 11 July El Dorado: The Spanish carrack sank during a hurricane in the Mona Channel between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico with the loss of all on board. El Dorado was the flagship of a thirty-two strong fleet heading for Spain. Sources vary but at least another sixteen ships were also wrecked. 11 July Santa Maria del Antigua: Part of the fleet led by Francisco de Bobadilla, the Spanish carrack sank during a hurricane off Santo Domingo. 5 October Mîrî: Attacked by Captain Matoso on the orders of Vasco da Gama, the pilgrim ship was captured at Madayi, India and the cargo taken. The Muslim pilgrims travelling from Calicut, India to Mecca were locked in the hold, the ship set on fire and sunk by artillery taking several days to sink. The survivors were speared by Portuguese soldiers and an estimated three hundred people killed. The ship was a victim of the 4th Portuguese India Armada led by Vasco da Gama.Nambiar O.K, The Kunjalis - Admirals of Calicut, Bombay, 1963. unknown date San Antón: The Spanish caravel ran aground on the (future) site of Port-au-Prince, Haiti while attempting to recover gold from the wreck of the Santa María de Gracia. The crew was picked up by the Santo Domingo. unknown date Santa María de Gracia: The Spanish caravel sank near the coast of Hispaniola after the hull was weakened by shipworm.
1503 30 April Esmeralda ( Portugal): Driven ashore on the Khuriya Muriya Islands during a typhoon. Led by Vicente Sodré (captain of a squadron) and part of the 4th Portuguese India Armada led by Vasco da Gama. 30 April São Pedro ( Portugal): Driven ashore on the Khuriya Muriya Islands during a typhoon. Led by Brás Sodré and part of the 4th Portuguese India Armada led by Vasco da Gama
1505 4 May Bela ( Portugal): The carrack, was part of an armada commanded by Tristão da Cunha, the first Viceroy of Portuguese India, and ran aground on the coast of Guinea.
1511–1520
1511 20 April — São Pedro ( Portugal): While on a journey to India, with five other caravels under the command of Garcia de Noronha, the islets of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was accidentally discovered when the São Pedro sailed onto one of them. The crew was rescued by the Saint Paul, hence the name of the archipelago. Unknown date — (): Ran aground or was lost in a storm off Yucatan or Jamaica.;
1512
10 August — Cordelière (also known as Marie-la-Cordelière) ( Brittany): During the Battle of Saint-Mathieu, Admiral Portzmoguer fearing defeat blew up his own ship and one English ship, HMS Regent as well. 10 August — HMS Regent (): Sank near Brest, France, during the Battle of Saint-Mathieu, after an explosion on the Breton ship Cordelière.
1514 21 February (first report) — Unidentified (): Lost at Polkemyas (now known as Porth Kidney sands), near Lelant, St Ives Bay, Cornwall, in the manor of Lelant and Trevethowe. She was carrying a cargo of cloth (including scarlet).
1515 Unidentified vessel: Wrecked on Eastern Green, Penzance, while carrying a cargo of spices and textiles. Unidentified vessel: Wrecked between Lelant Water and Porthroppter while on a voyage from Dublin with a cargo of "hydes and frys" (coarse woollen cloth).
1516 22 February (first report) — Seven ships and ″barks″: Lost between Lelant Water and St Ives, Cornwall, laden with iron cast goods, cloth and other wares. 15 September — Lomellina: The carrack from Genoa sank during a tornado while under repair in the bay at Villefranche-sur-Mer, Duchy of Savoy.
1517 Unidentified vessel: Wrecked at Porthcurno, Cornwall with a cargo of cloth and pewter.
1517 or 1518 Unidentified vessel: Wrecked near Carrack Loys, near Marckayowe (St Michael's Mount), Cornwall with a cargo of hogsheads of wine, which was divided between James Chynowythe, Richard Pendre and Sir John Arundell.
1518 4 May — Engelen: The Royal Danish Navy (), four masted sailing ship was destroyed by fire while moored in the Oyarzun river, Basque Country. Unidentified vessel: Wrecked in "Whitson Bay at the Lands End", Cornwall witnessed by John Davye. She was carrying wines and fruit and all on board were saved.
1520 22 May — Santiago (): The nau ran aground at the mouth of the river Santa Cruz, Argentina. She was one of five ships in Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation around the world. The wreck was discovered in 1985 by Daniel E Guillén. According to media reports, Guillén recovered a small part of the wreck's wood and had it analyzed as an authentic Spanish vessel, but he has refused to register and claim the discovery for fear that the government will mismanage the wreck.Google translation to English, October 26, 2016, "Daniel Guillen and Hernando de Magallanes" OriginalGoogle Translate to English, October 26, 2016, "Daniel Guillen's Magellan," Original"Hallazgo del Estrecho de Magallanes" by Pedro Cuesta Escudero, 11 May 2023, nuevodiario.es (in Spanish) Prior to this discovery, the oldest shipwreck in the New World was the San Esteban (1554 shipwreck) found off the coast of Texas. Unidentified vessel: A frigate was wrecked in Studland Bay, Dorset.
1521–1530
1521 2 May — Concepción (): The nau was deliberately abandoned and burnt in the Philippines. She was part of a fleet of five ships and 234 men led by Ferdinand Magellan.
1523 Nao (): The nao grounded on a shoal in the British Virgin Islands. The crew was rescued by another ship which ran aground on Anegada and later refloated. (): The nao was wrecked in a storm at Ternate c.1523.
1525 19 November — SV Corpo Santo ( Portugal): The nau ran aground at Cape Roçalgate, Oman while en route to India.
1526 14 January — Sancti Spiritus (): The carrack was one of seven ships in the Loaisa expedition passing through the Strait of Magellan when she was wrecked on the coast west of Punta Dungenes. Her crew were rescued by the Anunciada. 16 February — Anunciada (): The carrack was one of seven ships in the Loaisa expedition from A Coruña, Spain westwards to the spice route. She was wrecked in the Strait of Magellan. 1 June — Pedro Serrano's patache (): Wrecked while en route for Santa Marta from Cuba on the Serrana Bank. Pedro Serrano and the ship's boy was said to have been stranded there for eight years.Souhami, Diana (2001) Selkirk's Island, Weidenfeld & Nicolson June — San Lesmes (): The nau was not seen after passing through the Strait of Magellan. She was part of a seven ship expedition led by García Jofre de Loaísa to find a westerly route for the spice trade. Unknown date — San Gabriel (): The nau was wrecked during a storm, after passing Cape Frio, Brazil. She was part of a seven ship expedition led by García Jofre de Loaísa to find a westerly route for the spice trade. Unknown date&‐ Santa Maria del Parral(): Ran aground on Sangihe Island, Archipelago Sulawesi. She was part of a seven ship expedition led by García Jofre de Loaísa to find a westerly route for the spice trade. Unknown date — Santa Teresa (): The caravel was lost at the entrance to the Gallegos River, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.
1527 19 January — St Anthony or Santo António ( Portugal): The carrack foundered in Gunwalloe Bay, Cornwall, en route from Lisbon to Antwerp. She had a mixed cargo including copper and silver ingots, said to be worth an estimated £100 million in early 21st century values. One half of the crew was lost. The wreck was located in 1981 and a selection of her cargo can be seen in the Charlestown Shipwreck, Rescue and Heritage Centre, Charlestown. Also reported as Saint Andrew and sinking on 19 January 1526. The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.
1531–1540
1531 Unidentified vessel Wrecked on the cliffs near "Innyall Chappell (Chapel Jane, Gurnard's Head), Cornwall with the loss of all on board. The vessel was carrying salt. Anchors, cables and timber was salvaged and shared 50/50 between the finders and Sir John Arundell, Master Lord of the Franchise.
1532 (First report) — Unidentified vessels: Harry Angwyne sworn at Court that he often saw wrecks of timbers cast on the land at Whitsonbay and other places around Land's End, Cornwall. (First report) — Unidentified vessel: Lost at the Longships, off Land's End, Cornwall. (First report) — Unidentified vessel: Barrel of tar washed up at Gwynver, Sennen, Cornwall and barrel of flower (flour) washed up in Whitson Bay in Gonhellye under Meen.
1533 Bom Jesus () — The ship was wrecked on the coast of Africa near the mouth of the Orange River while on a voyage from Lisbon to India.
1537 30 November — Concepción (): The Carrack (nau) was wrecked at Ponta Loyola, estuary of the Gallegos River, Argentina while part of a two ship trading expedition. The crew were rescued by the Santa Maria .
1540 23 January — Capitana (): The carrack (nau) was part of an expedition to the Pacific coast of South America when she was wrecked north-east of the Primera Angostura, within the Strait of Magellan. The crew was rescued by another of the expedition's ships. January — Trinidad (): The sailing ship was seen at Cedros Island, Baja California before heading north and not seen again.
1541–1550
1542 18 February — A hoy barque (flag unknown) was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, England. 29 December — Bonne Aventure (France): Wrecked south of Les Sables-d'Olonne, France unknown date — Grifo ( Portugal): The cargo ship was wrecked in the bay of Angra, Terceira Island. Oldest known wreck on the island since colonisation. unknown date — San Juan (): The nau foundered near the island of São Miguel, Azores. unknown date — San Miguel (): The galleon sank near Hispaniola.
1543 25 July — Capitana de la Saane (France): Lost during a battle off Corcubión, Cape Finisterre, Spain. Unknown date — Moutier (France): The fishing boat ran aground at Noirmoutier, France. Unknown date — An Unidentified ship () was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, England.
1544 Unknown date — Three vessels (flags unknown) were wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, England.
1545 19 July — Battle of the Solent: Mary Rose (): Capsized within of Portsmouth harbour, in of water. Approximately seven hundred men lost their lives. 28 November — Santa Clara (): The galleon was lost in a storm off Hispaniola.
1550 (first report) — Pwll Fanog (Wales): Wrecked in the Menai Strait, Gwynedd, Wales. (first report) — Santa Maria de la Piedad (): The sailing ship out of Hispaniola, was wrecked on Terceira Island, Azores. Some of the cargo was salvaged.
1551–1560
1552 8 June — São João ( Portugal): The galleon was wrecked during a storm near Port Edward, South Africa. Approximately 120 died in the wreck while the remaining 500 survivors had to march to the mouth of the Maputo River. Only twenty-five survived due to attacks from indigenous people, starvation and disease. La Magdalena (): The nau was wrecked in the Azores. Santiago (): The nau sank in the harbour at Angra, Terceira Island, Azores after unloading the cargo from Mexico.
1553 Six unnamed vessels (): The ships sank in the Gulf of Mexico off Padre Island. October — Bona Confidentia, Bona Esperanza and Edward Bonaventure (all ): The ships became trapped in ice off the coast of what is now Canada. Their crews perished in January 1554.
1554 21 April — São Bento ( Portugal): The carrack ran aground in the mouth of the Msikaba River, midway between Port Edward and Port St. Johns on the Transkei coast of South Africa. The cargo included slaves and pepper, and up to 450 people lost their lives. 29 April — Espiritu Santo (): Part of a treasure fleet en route for Havana, Cuba from Veracruz, Mexico, three galleons were wrecked in a storm off Padre Island, Texas. 29 April — San Esteban (): Part of a treasure fleet en route for Havana, Cuba from Veracruz, Mexico, three galleons were wrecked in a storm off Padre Island, Texas.