Following the Viking Trail, Day 5

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June 26, 2008 Whaling in Red Bay - Hunting and Watching

Our first stop as we explored southern Labrador was the Pinware River, an exception place for trout fishing, plus salmon is abundant here.

We learned about whale hunting when we arrived at the village of Red Bay. Today it’s population is 211, but in the early 1500s, when Boston and New York were still wilderness, this part of the Labrador coast had a population of 1500.

The lucrative whale hunting industry brought Basque fishermen here by the ship load. Their targets were the right whale and the bowhead whale that migrated through the Strait of Belle Isle. (The name right whale came about because it was the right whale to hunt as it had an was exceptionally high percentage of blubber.)

During the era, Europe used millions of gallons of whale oil for lamp fuel and lubrication. It was the basic element of paint, varnish and soap.

Baleen - the flexible, strong material from whales' mouths - was used in clothing and furnishings - you’ve heard of whalebone corsets. It also was used in buggy whips, collar stays, hoop skirts and umbrella spokes.

A typical whaling ship returned home with hundreds of barrels of whale oil. So, barrel-making was an essential activity of every whaling expedition and coopers an essential craft. Typically, the ship brought the barrels unassembled because space was an issue. It was also common to use red ceramic tiles, plentiful in Spain, as ballast in the holds of the ship. Eventually some of the tiles were used to roof buildings along the shore and a few can still be seen.

Another type of ruin found are the tryworks where whale blubber was rendered into whale oil. These structures consisted of a number of stone fireboxes, each supporting a copper cauldron which held about 45 gallons of blubber and oil.

In 1978, underwater archaeologists located the wreck of the Spanish galleon the San Juan. This 300-ton ship was about to sail for home when it was driven aground in Saddle Island in Red Bay. This discovery provided the most complete 16th century ocean-going vessel excavated so far. Interestingly, after years of study, everything was reburied as there was insufficient money to prepare the ship for exhibit.

In a dismal story repeated by many different groups of people, the intense hunting of thousands and thousands of whales led to their near extinction. Current estimates put the population of right whales at a mere 300 while the more plentiful bowhead whales are estimated at 12,000.

Usually the visit to the interpretive center includes a short boat trip across Red Bay to Saddle Island to see some of the whale processsing ruins, however, no trip was available because Eider Ducks were nesting on the Island.

Despite cool winds we spent a wonderful time right on the edge of the water observing both harp seals and whales, mostly humpbacks but we got a glimpse of a minke whale and a finback.

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Photos

Red Bay
Once home to Basque whale hunters.

Across Red Bay
Some of the ruins on Saddle Island, directly across from Red Bay.

Harp Seals
Lots of them playing in Red Bay.

Rough Legged Hawk
Nesting just north of Red Bay