During the mid-16th century, large numbers of right and bowhead whales drew whalers from the Basque region of Spain and France to the Strait of Belle Isle, where they established a major whaling port at Red Bay. For some 70 years, Basque whalers made the dangerous, month-long journey across the Atlantic to hunt whales and produce the oil that lit the lamps of Europe.
HISTORY: Established by Basque mariners during the 1530’s, Red Bay was home to a whaling station used for hunting, butchering and rendering the whale oil that lit wealthy Europeans’ homes. The station was used for 70 years before the whale population became depleted. According to UNESCO, the archeological site contains the best-preserved evidence of the European whaling tradition, including remains of rendering ovens, temporary living quarters, a cemetery, and the underwater remains of shipping vessels and whale bones.
VISIT: Visit Red Bay National Historic Site of Canada, where interpretive centres open a window into the late 15th century through artifacts, scale models, reproductions and films. Or, embark on a self-guided tour of whaling work and life on nearby Saddle Island – just a five-minute boat ride across the Straight of Belle Isle, where it all began.