The crossword solutions for the term 'DA ___, VASCO EXPLORER' are GAMA (4 letters), NUNEZ (5 letters), and BALBOA (6 letters). These three names refer to Portuguese explorers who were part of the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. Vasco da Gama was the first explorer to sail directly from Europe to India, while Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Vasco Núñez de BALBOA were the first Europeans to explore the mainland of the Americas.