A tribute to the Basque fishermen buried in Red Bay, in whose waters the remains of the Nao San Juan were found, has concluded the visit of the delegation from Gipuzkoa. There, the mission led by the general deputy Eider Mendoza sought to strengthen ties with local institutions regarding the journey that the replica of the 16th-century whaler will undertake to this country.
The visit stopped, among other places, at the Red Bay National Historic Site, declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2013, where the remains of the Nao San Juan were discovered in the late 1970s. There, the Gipuzkoan delegation laid a floral offering in memory of the 140 Basque whalers buried in the cemetery of Saddle Island.
“"We are a country and a territory that has developed by opening itself to the world through the sea, driven by entrepreneurship, innovation, technological knowledge, and audacity. Here, the testimony of this maritime history can be seen and felt, amidst this wild landscape"
During this final stage of the trip, Mendoza pointed out that the construction process of the Nao San Juan and its upcoming journey to Canada "offer an unbeatable opportunity to better understand the past and historical evolution of Euskadi," as well as to "reinforce historical and scientific knowledge about the maritime heritage left by the whalers».
Furthermore, she emphasized that "this voyage will once again turn the Atlantic Ocean into a bridge to renew our ties and relationships with Canadian society, its institutions, and its indigenous peoples. In an increasingly fragmented world, this project seeks to row in favor of understanding, collaboration, and shared goals among nations».
The Provincial Council explains in a statement that, in the current historical area of Red Bay, "Basque whalers from both sides of the Bidasoa River settled from the 16th century onwards. They made this natural harbor known by the name of Butus and established the first developed industrial activity in North America in that locality, according to historical experts, with the intention of hunting whales and producing oil to light lamps and candles in Europe».
«It constitutes the most complete example in the world of the first industrial-scale whaling," highlights the provincial entity. In this location on the coast of Labrador, at least twenty sites with Basque presence have been identified. Both in the interpretation center on whaling created at the Red Bay Historic Site and in the surrounding areas, original Basque traces and artifacts can be seen, as well as a restored longboat and remains of ovens for oil production, among other elements.
