Red Bay: Basques, Whales and Fish Chowder

The union church in Red Bay

Not long after Columbus discovered Caribbean resorts Basque seaman established themselves along the south Labrador coast in search of whales. Red Bay, which we visited Wednesday, was one of the largest of their seasonal whaling stations. Today it's a national historic site, including the bottom of the bay where one of their whaling boats has been excavated after centuries of preservation in the bottom's silt.

The bay, which gets its name from the color of the local rocks, provided a safe haven from storms and suitable land for "frying" blubber to produce oil, which was then shipped back to Europe for use as lamp fuel and the manufacture of paint, varnish and soap. The same rich marine life which attracts whales to the area -- herring, mackerel, capelin and other schooling food fish -- provided sustenance for the whalers, along with whale meat and the then abundance of cod.

Parks Canada's interpretative center at Red Bank is well-organized, interesting and informative, with many artifacts on display to help understand the Basques' whaling industry here and how they lived. You can even sniff a sample of whale oil, which the locals insist was obtained from a dead whale which washed upon the shore. A couple of kilometers away, at the town center (city hall) one of their chalupas (the small boats from which harpooners did their deeds) and a whale skeleton are on display.

I skipped lunch on board the Fram to walk around the town, but needed sustenance. So I headed to Whaler's Restaurant, opposite the interpretive center, for lunch. While the expedition team on the Fram and the locals I spoke with recommended the fish and chips, I couldn't resist the fish chowder. No cream or milk, nor any tomato. Just fresh fish in a good fish stock, thickened with some cubed potatoes and flavored with some onion and carrot and a light touch of herbs. A perfect lunch.

More photos from Red Bay:

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