Hernando de Grijalva, who died in 1537 in the course of a crossing of the Pacific Ocean, was a Spanish navigator and explorer in the service of Hernán Cortés.
In August 1521, Cortés seized the capital of the Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlan, and founded the colony of New Spain, of which he was captain general, recognized by Charles V from 1522.
Grijalva, sailing out to sea, discovered the Revillagigedo Islands, then returned to the port of departure in February 1534 (the other ship experienced the mutiny of the pilot Fortún Ximénez and reached Baja California).
A courier arrived at this time from Peru, where Francisco Pizarro, besieged by the Indians of Manco Capac II in Lima, asked for help.
Cortés decided to launch a rescue expedition without delay, with two ships, the carrack Santiago, commanded by Grijalva, and the patache Trinidad (Fernando de Alvarado).
The ship eventually ran aground on the northern coast of New Guinea where three survivors were captured by the Papuans and sold to the Malays, according to Galvão.