The Rose Blanche harbour was first used by French migratory fishermen who came in the early 1700s to fish the nearby Rose Blanche Bank which had an abundance of cod. The harbor provided good anchorage, being well sheltered by Caines Island and Rose Blanche Point. The name Rose Blanche is a corruption of the French words "roche blanche" (white rock) which can be seen at Diamond Cove. This white quartz was highly visible to the French migratory fishermen when they first approached the shore in the early 1700s.