Claim: Casco Bay was named "Bahía de Cascos" by Portuguese explorer Estêvão Gomes in 1525 but named Aucocisco (place of herons) by the Abenaki, a Native American tribe and First Nation.
Evidence: The Portuguese explorer Estêvão Gomes, mapped the Maine coast in 1525 and named the bay "Bahía de Cascos" (Bay of Helmets, based on the shape of the bay). Aucocisco is the Abenaki name for the bay, which means 'place of herons' (sometimes translated as 'muddy'). The Abenaki (Abnaki, Abinaki, Alnôbak) are a Native American tribe and First Nation.