Why extreme tides in bay of fundy

In addition, the position and configuration of continents in the Northern Hemisphere contributes to the high tides. Since the Bay of Fundy becomes shallower and narrower, incoming tidal flows get forced especially high as water piles up behind mudflats at the mouth of the bay. They make a roaring sound reminiscent of an oncoming train. These tidal bores often have leading waves as high as 1 meter 3 feet , large enough for rafting and surfing.

As for the colors, rivers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick flow through soft red Triassic-era sandstone that easily erodes. The sediment and the regular churning of incoming and outgoing tides and tidal bores keeps the bay and rivers perpetually muddy. Story by Adam Voiland. View this area in EO Explorer. High tides in the funnel-shaped bay are anything but a bore when they collide with river water flowing in the opposite direction. Thanks for your response on Burntcoat and Alma.

The article on the message in a bottle was interesting too. Pretty amazing. If an floating object got carried away by the outgoing tide at Burntcoat, Nova Scotia, is it possible for it to be discovered that week by someone near Alma, New Brunswick? The direction of the wind also plays a big factor in where the object would end up.

Is it safe to kayak in the bay of fundy 2. Where can one put in to best kayak the bay of fundy and see the cool rocks? Is it safe to kayak in the Gulf of St. It appears to be about a 2 hour drive from the top of Fundy. Are there camp-sites up there? When is the best month of year to kayak up there? Hi — We are in Nova Scotia now. Trying to find the best place to visit the tidal bore — are there any restaurants we can sit and watch this phenomenon?

Harbourview Restaurant in Parrsboro is an excellent place to watch the rise or fall of the tides. There is a lighthouse and a wharf on location. Hi Mike. Thanks for your well presented info.

My 8y. Thanks for explaining the tidal phenomenon! Mike… many years ago my parents took me to see the Bay of Fundy. We watched the tide come into the bay. There was a wave about 3 feet high.. Also in the general area there was an area that had caves that you can walk around at low tide.

A horn was blown and everyone had to leave the caves because it was getting close to the tide coming in. Do you have any idea where this was? I want to bring my family to the same place….

Another question, Mike, we are having our bank give us Canadian money. We can take cash or they can put the money in an account and give us a cash card that draws the Canadian money to used via card rather than cash.

Will we be charged for using a Canadian money card the same as our American Express? Where is the best place to stay for a couple of days on in West NS? From my research it will pretty cool in August. What say ye to that? Hi Susan, this comment slipped through the cracks. This answer is probably a bit late for you, but it might be useful for someone else in the future.

As for the temperatures, both August and September are very comfortable months. If you stay close to the Bay you can expect temperatures of around 20 to 25 degrees Celcius 68 — 77F.

Mike, how wonderful to have come upon this website. We are going to NS on vacation August There of four us retired folks who want to experience the beauty of NS.

We have rented a van for our travels, and plan to visit the areas about which you write. I do want to walk on the ocean floor and see the tides come and go. We will probably stay on the West coast for a couple of days. I am even more excited having read your posts. Thank you. Thanks for leaving a comment. I am glad you found these posts to be inspiring and I am sure you will enjoy your trip!

Then I landed on this site. The presentation of tides is excellent. But I was also caught of learning about Bay of Fundy, which is brand new knowledge for me. Very interesting and stimulating for my travel instincts. Would be fantastic to see this in real. How do I travel from Europe to your fantastic place? Best greetings to all og you over there. Hi Martin, the closest, cheapest, and easiest to reach airport would be Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there you can reach most Bay of Fundy locations within a hour drive.

The Bay of Fundy is on the west side of Nova Scotia, but the north and east side of Nova Scotia are also very nice places to go sailing. Some come and go with the tide, others remain on the wet soil and in the small puddles.

Perhaps you can direct me to some info about the relationship between the whale migrations and the tides, please? It just feels very magical and sacred in this area, in fact we believe we were guided to this location. I know you are a scientist, but sometimes other elements cry out for acknowledgement. Hi Mary, thank you for your very thoughtful comment. It is my understanding they mainly come to the Bay of Fundy because the large tides result in and enormous amount of krill, herring, and other food sources.

The Bay is a large sheltered area which makes it a perfect location for whales to give birth, feed and raise their young. I would agree with them. Although the effects of the tides can be clearly seen at Joggings and there certainly is a clear difference between high and low tide , the vertical effect of the tides is much more pronounced at the Hopewell Rocks and thus more interesting.

Also, keep in mind that the tidal range is highest near the head of the Bay, with the highest tides occurring in the Minas Basin which is part of the Bay of Fundy. Most wharves along the Fundy coast are great locations for viewing extreme vertical tides. Of course there are tons of other great places too. Dear Mike, if my origin is Toronto what will be my destination? I mean where i should fly from Toronto to enjoy the Bay of Fundy? Thanks, Olga. Hi Olga, you have a few options.

I am assuming you want to see the tides and possibly walk around on the ocean floor when the tide is out? On the New Brunswick side, Hopewell Rocks is definitely the goto place. Hey mike, awesome informative writing! Off topic, are you related to Paul Postma, currently playing for the winnipeg jets? Thanks Corey. I am wondering what the velocity of current on average is at the Bay of Fundy? Thanks for any info. I know the speed of the current varies greatly depending on where in the Bay of Fundy you are and that water flows up to 10 metres per second in certain areas.

The water simply moves too much for that to happen. So you can view the tides change year round. I think this a very informative website. I have a question. Increased tidal ranges in these areas are created by the positions and configurations of the continents in the northern hemisphere. In the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere, the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia are pressed closer together.

In the higher latitudes of the southern hemisphere, in the southern tips of South America, southern Africa, Australia, and Antarctica, tidal ranges are not increased.

Of the top 50 locations in the world with the largest tidal range average difference between high and low tide , only two locations are within the U. On the U. To get a handle on just how much it is, it is equivalent to the combined total 24 hr flow of all the rivers of the world!

What is the science of why the tidal range is so extreme in the Bay of Fundy, while most places the difference between high and low tide is just a meter or so. The most important effect is resonance - the tides are high in the Bay of Fundy because the size of the bay is just right to match the natural gravitational pushing cycle of the Moon that causes the tides. Imagine you are pushing someone on a swing. The energy of the person on the swing is much more than you give them in any one push, but if you provide the push at just the right time, you keep building up the resonant response.

In our case the swing is the flow of water in and out of the bay, and the push is provided by ocean tides caused in turn by the gravitational influence of the Moon mainly another post will talk about tides in general.

There are two high tides a day, one when the ocean side is nearest the Moon, and one on the side of the Earth most distant from the Moon.