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.
Many estuaries and rivers flowing directly into the northern parts of the Bay of Fundy flanked by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick experience tidal bores. A lot of them are situated over on the Nova Scotia half of the Bay of Fundy. Nevertheless, you would probably have a tough time locating the best spots without the assistance of one or two local residents. A few unique spots to look at a tidal bore include:
- 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.
Tourists generally prefer to go to the places that feature interpretation panels such as the kinds located around the Maccan River as well as the Shubenacadie River close to the South Maitland Tidal Bore look-off. You'll want to keep in mind that the bore time doesn't always match up with the high tide periods shown on a tide graph or chart. All of it is dependent upon the place down the river you're located, therefore it is better to talk with a few of the local outfitters in advance.
As fascinating as it is to observe the tidal bore from the riverbanks, it is much more entertaining to try white water river rafting in it. This kind of adventure is exclusive to the Bay of Fundy since the Shubenacadie River, found in Nova Scotia, is considered the one and only location on the planet where you can enjoy 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
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