Red Bay, established by Basque mariners in the 16th century at the north-eastern tip of Canada on the shore of the Strait of Belle Isle is an archaeological site that provides the earliest, most complete and best preserved testimony of the European whaling tradition. Gran Baya, as it was called by those who founded the station in 1530s, was used as a base for coastal hunting, butchering, rendering of whale fat by heading to produce oil and storage. It became a major source of whale oil which was shipped to Europe where it was used for lighting. The site, which was used in the summer months, includes remains of rendering ovens, cooperages, wharves, temporary living quarters and a cemetery, together with underwater remains of vessels and whale bone deposits. The station was used for some 70 years, before the local whale population was depleted.
Pricing unknown
The Red Bay National Historic Site is a National Historic Site of Canada located in Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. This on-land and underwater archaeological site marks one of the best preserved Basque whaling station locations of the 16th century and covers 600 hectares. In 1979, Red Bay was declared a National Historic Site and in 2013, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Read more on Wikipedia →Summary excerpted from the Wikipedia article Red Bay National Historic Site, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text may be clipped or paraphrased to fit this page.