Pirates: The Spanish treasure fleets were often attacked by pirates. These pirates were often English, French, or Dutch, and they would plunder the ships for their valuable cargo.
Storms: The Spanish treasure fleets also had to contend with storms. The Atlantic Ocean is a vast and unpredictable body of water, and storms could easily damage or sink the ships.
Disease: Disease was also a major problem for the Spanish treasure fleets. Many of the sailors died of diseases such as smallpox, measles, and yellow fever.
Shipwrecks: Shipwrecks were also a common occurrence. The ships were often overloaded with treasure, and they were not always well-built. As a result, they could easily sink in storms or when they hit reefs.
The Spanish did take some measures to protect their treasure fleets. They built forts along the coast to protect the ships as they were loaded and unloaded. They also sent warships to escort the treasure fleets. However, these measures were not always enough to prevent attacks by pirates, storms, disease, or shipwrecks.
