The ancient Basque whaling station of Red Bay
Red Bay is a fishing town located in the northwestern tip of Canada, on the shores of the Strait of Belle Isle, in Labrador. It is known for being one of the most important underwater archaeological sites in the American continent, offering the oldest, most comprehensive, and best-preserved testimony of a pre-industrial whaling station in the Arctic zone, exploited by Basque sailors.
Established in the 16th century by whalers coming mainly from the Basque Country, between Spain and France, the settlement allowed the organization of coastal whaling in summer, in addition to all related activities; the slaughter of whales and the processing and storage of whale blubber for oil production.
Remains of cooperages, cauldrons for melting fat, typically Basque boats known as chalupas, as well as a large number of whale bones that testify to their past activity, were found. In addition, elements such as the tiles that Basque sailors used to roof their buildings are still preserved.
Red Bay bears witness to the pioneering establishment of Basque transatlantic whaling in the 16th century, in the Arctic maritime provinces of the northeast of the country.
Until the 17th century, this fishing town in Labrador was an important Basque whaling area.
It was discovered in the summer of 1978, when a group of underwater archaeologists found the remains of an exceptionally well-preserved merchant ship, dating from the 16th century, and was one of many that washed up on these shores each season. The ship had remains of a shipment of whale oil and, due to its characteristics, they found that it could be the San Juan, a ship chartered in Pasaia, Gipuzkoa that covered the transport of the Precious oil, so necessary for the illumination of the time in Europe. During the excavations, the chalupas were also found, small traditional boats used by Basque sailors to hunt whales.
Red Bay was the whaling center par excellence and the most important in the region, and in the world at that time. It is believed that the place declined its use, either due to the decrease in specimens due to excessive hunting, or due to the agreements of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 that would put an end to the War of the Spanish Succession, and with it the impediment of the access of Spanish vessels to Newfoundland and Labrador.
The patrimonial importance of the terrestrial and underwater deposit of Red Bay led to this former Basque whaling enclave being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2013. A museum with the recovered remains of the shipwreck, scale reproductions, texts and a restored example of the typical whaling boat Basque document the past of this peaceful fishing village where, in addition, it is possible to watch large cetaceans.
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