The Bay of Fundy is home to the rare tidal bore phenomena, where tides overpower the stream of outflowing rivers. Twice a day, at high tide, a large volume of water floods from the Bay of Fundy into the rivers that feed it. The narrow riverbanks compress the rising waters in a spectacular surge and a visible standing wave, sometimes 1 meter (3 ft) in height! As the roaring and swirling water races upstream at speeds close to 15 km per hour (10 mph) it generates rapids in its wake that are between 3 to 3.5 meters (10-12 ft) high.
Most rivers draining into the upper Bay of Fundy between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have tidal bores. Most of them are located on the Nova Scotia side of the bay. But, you may have trouble finding them without the help of some locals. A few great places to see a tidal bore are:
- The Petitcodiac River. Previously the greatest tidal bore in all of Canada And America exceeded 2 metres (6.6 feet); but, causeway development as well as substantial silting decreased it to nothing more than a small swell, until the causeway gates ended up being opened up on April 14, 2010 as a component of the Petitcodiac River Restoration project and as a direct result the tidal bore started to develop just as before.
- The bore is quickest and largest in a few of the smaller sized rivers which hook up to the Bay of Fundy such as the River Hebert and Maccan River on Cumberland Basin (approximately 10 mins out of Amherst), the St. Croix, Herbert and Kennetcook Rivers inside the Minas Basin, and also the Salmon River in Truro.
People typically love to look at the locations which include interpretation panels just like the panels present along side the Maccan River as well as the Shubenacadie River nearby the South Maitland Tidal Bore look-off. You'll want to bear in mind that the bore time won't automatically match up with the high tide periods stated on a tide graph or chart. The whole thing is determined by precisely where along side the river you happen to be standing, so it is advisable to consult a few of the local outfitters ahead of time.
As interesting as it is to watch the tidal bore from the shore, it's even more fun to go white water rafting in it. This experience is unique to the Bay of Fundy because the Shubenacadie River, located in Nova Scotia, is the only place in the world where you can go tidal bore rafting.
In the summer months, experienced guides take visitors on a one-of-a-kind, upriver rafting adventure. These adventures often also include an extremely fun mud sliding session. Tidal bore rafting might just be the best way to experience the Bay of Fundy tides first hand!
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The Bay of Fundy tidal bore isn’t the only reason to visit us this summer. Check out our extensive list of 52 reasons to visit the Bay of Fundy Nova Scotia at http://bayoffundy.com/52
