Red Bay National Historic Site, Historic whaling museum in Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Red Bay National Historic Site preserves the remains of a 16th-century Basque whaling station, featuring archaeological ruins, shipwrecks, and artifacts that illustrate early European maritime industry in North America.
Between 1550 and 1620, Red Bay served as the center of a major Basque whaling operation where Spanish and French whalers processed whale blubber into oil that illuminated lamps across Europe.
The site represents the intersection of European maritime tradition and North American coastal life, showcasing how Basque whalers established temporary settlements and interacted with Indigenous communities during their seasonal operations.
The museum operates from June through early October with guided tours, interpretive displays, and educational programs, offering free admission during promotional periods and accessible trails for visitors of all ages.
Red Bay contains the world's most complete archaeological record of early whaling activities, including the preserved remains of a chalupa boat and the wreck of the galleon San Juan from the 1560s.
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