Authorities in Gipuzkoa and Canada have agreed to organize a transatlantic voyage of the San Juan, a replica of the Basque whaling ship that sank off Red Bay in 1565. The agreement was reached during a visit to Canada by a Gipuzkoan delegation and sets a structure for planning a voyage intended to evoke the conditions of 16th-century seafaring.
Led by the Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa and backed by Canadian institutions, the initiative is intended to go beyond historical reenactment by promoting cultural ties through music and tourism, alongside industrial cooperation. A bilateral commission, with political and economic working groups, is expected to coordinate the practical preparations, including route planning, stopovers, permits and arrangements for the vessel’s reception in Canada. The partners also plan to explore funding options, including potential Canadian contributions.
The replica is being built in Pasaia by Albaola shipwrights using traditional methods. The project aims to present the completed vessel as a symbolic gift to Red Bay, in Newfoundland and Labrador, once a major Basque whaling base. From the 1540s into the early 17th century, Basque sailors crossed the Atlantic to hunt whales in the region. Whale oil, used for lighting and other purposes, was an impressive commodity in Europe.
The historical scale of the industry is reflected in figures attributed to Parks Canada: 15 Basque whaling settlements in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, seasonal processing of as many as 300 whales and production of up to 700,000 barrels of oil. Discovered in 1975 beneath the waters of Red Bay, the wreck of the original San Juan yielded more than 3,000 artifacts. The remains and recovered objects informed the replica’s reconstruction, linking the modern project to the archaeological record of Basque whaling.
Red Bay’s name is believed to refer to the red roof tiles Basque whalers brought from home to cover the ovens used to render whale blubber. The original structures have disappeared, but fragments of the tiles remain along the coastline and seabed, a tangible reminder of the community’s maritime past.
During their visit, Gipuzkoan officials placed a new tile in Red Bay in tribute to the more than 400 Basque sailors said to be buried there. Local leaders welcomed the renewed connection and the prospect of the San Juan’s arrival, currently expected within two to three years. The plan calls for sea trials along the Cantabrian coast after construction, followed by an Atlantic crossing projected to take about 40 days, with sailors and volunteers making up the crew.
Project leader Xabier Agote has described preparation as basic to the undertaking: learning to sail and live aboard the replica will itself form part of the research. People from a range of backgrounds have expressed interest in joining the crew, including Michelin-starred chefs. The planned destination is the site where the original ship rests, about ten metres beneath the waters of Red Bay.
The project builds on longstanding maritime ties between the Basque Country and North America. Red Bay’s Basque whaling heritage is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By retracing the route, organizers aim to renew attention to that shared history and build cultural and economic connections, with tourism part of the effort.
