Bay of Fundy and tidal bores

In his article on Nova Scotia, Stephen Addison mentions Waterfront Park in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, as a good place to observe the tides in the Bay of Fundy (Dec. ’16, pg. 6).

For those with an interest in unusual natural phenomena, the Bay of Fundy has the world’s highest tidal range, over 52 feet (although Ungava Bay in northern Québec claims a higher mean tidal range), but what might be more interesting are the tidal bores seen on most of the rivers draining into the upper Bay of Fundy.

A tidal bore is basically a standing wave of water, created at the leading edge of the incoming tide, traveling up the river or narrow inlet against the current. The underlying funnel-shaped architecture of the bay contributes to this phenomenon. The water of a bore is very turbulent, creating a low-frequency roar that can be heard from a long distance. 

For me, these events are spectacular, whether they are 6 inches or 6 feet high.

The tidal bore on the Petitcodiac River, in southeastern New Brunswick, was about 6½ feet before the construction of a causeway eliminated it almost completely. However, gates have been opened in the causeway, and the bore has been restored to about half of its original height.

For those interested in a bigger thrill, the Qiantang River (in eastern China) has the world’s highest tidal bore — up to 30 feet high, moving about 25 miles per hour. 

There is lots of video on YouTube. Just plug the river name and “tidal bore video” into your browser search engine. (Is it time to update your bucket list?)

KT PORTER 

Slidell, LA