Demise of The Great Auk
It is believed that Funk Island was visited shortly after the first native peoples settled in northeastern Newfoundland. Joseph Banks, who visited Newfoundland and Labrador in 1766 told of a type of pudding the Beothuk made from eggs which had been collected from Penguin (Funk) Island. In earlier times, The Great Auk was also known as the garefowl, from the Norse, "Geirfugl".
Many explorers and fishing nations made trips to the Funks to acquire sea birds for food and oil for their lamps. The Great Auks were flightless birds that were an easy prey. In 1578, 350 Spanish and French vessels and fifty English vessels were reported fishing nearby. Later settlers along the northeast coast of Newfoundland often made the short trip to the Funks to kill birds for food and lamp oil; they also used the feathers for pillows and mattresses and gathered the eggs for food.
In 1622 Sir Richard Whitbourne told of how the birds were driven up the gang planks into the boats. He remarked that it was "as if God had made the innocency of so poore a creature to become such an admirable instrument for the sustenation of man."
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