Here on this wiki page, it sez “The first historical records of Europeans to set eyes on this ocean, the Pacific, are recorded as Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513 or, Ponce de León in 1512 or 1513.”
Where and when did old Poncy get to the Pacific?
Considering that old Poncy went to Florida in 1512, I’d say this was an error by whoever wrote that.
Yes, but I was unsure and unwilling to edit unless I was sure.
But what if Ponce stood way, way up on the highest point in Florida, AND it was one of those really, really clear days, AND he had his Cuban heels on?
Yeah I think they confused him with Vasco Núñez de Balboa. It has a “de” in it after all 
Of course, even the greats mess up. Poet John Keats gave the credit to “Stout Cortes” rather than to Balboa.
If it’s an error (and I concur that it probably is), it’s a remarkably long-lived one, having been introduced to the article in 2006.
Hey, be bold. That’s what some file (I forget which one) on Wikipedia says.
This could be someone’s bizarre alt-hist theory. If so, it doesn’t belong in Wikipedia. Or maybe the writer thought Florida was on the west coast. Ponce did sail around to the west side of the peninsula.
Yeah, but the highest place in Florida is like 5 meters above sea level. He’d get more altitude in the crow’s nest on his ship.
Whoosh, much?
I assume that was aimed at me. I knew he was joking; I was kind of joking back. Admittedly, I couldn’t find something very funny to say, but … the highest point in Florida is much higher than 5 meters. In fact it should soon be over 300 meters…
OTOH, with sea level such a moving target, that 300 meters will soon be 299, 298, 297, etc. Just like on the Titanic, the first class passengers / penthouse dwellers will be the last to get their feet wet.
Is it possible he visited Panama and crossed the entire ithsmus?
If someone here regularlly edit wiki, feel free to change it, otherwise I will do it later, Then, it will be edited back, I am sure.
I am something of an expert on the history of Panama, and I have never heard that Ponce de Leon ever visited Panama, nor that anyone other than Balboa was credited with the first crossing.
The cite in that section of the wikinotes that there are a lot of questions about the Waldseemüller map that is the subject of the article. It doesn’t mention Ponce of Leon though.