Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy is a 170 Miles (270 km) long ocean bay located on the East Coast of Canada, between the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and is renowned for being a place with the highest tides on the planet. 115,000,000,000.00 (one hundred and fifteen billion) tonnes of ocean water raises the sea level at the Bay of Fundy by as much as 53 feet (16.2 meters) twice a day. This means that Bay of Fundy, being a single bay gets more water flowing in and out every 12 hours than all of the fresh water rivers in the world combined get in a day. This makes Bay of Fundy one of the most fascinating natural phenomenons on the planet and should be on a “must visit at least once in my life” list of every traveller.

Bay of Fundy Seen from Fundy National Park, Photo by Product of Newfoundland, Flickr
Bay of Fundy Seen from Fundy National Park, Photo by Product of Newfoundland, Flickr

Bay of Fundy Tides

Bay of Fundy experiences one high and one low tide twice a day. It takes on average 6 hours and 13 minutes for low tide to grow into a high tide and then additional 6 hours and 13 minutes for the water level to drop from high tide to low tide. This frequency will give each visitor a chance to see at least one high and one low tide during the daylight hours any time of year. Tide times as well as the tidal range vary slightly from one community along the bay to another.

Walking on the Oean Floor Along Hopewell Rocks at Bay of Fundy, Photo by Ryan James Anderson, Flickr
Walking on the Oean Floor Along Hopewell Rocks at Bay of Fundy, Photo by Ryan James Anderson, Flickr

Bay of Fundy Ecosystem

High tides of the Bay of Fundy create marine ecosystem that’s very rich and dynamic. Eight species of whales, including rare and endangered Right Whales call Bay of Fundy their home, making it one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Bay waters are also populated with abundance of dolphins, seals, porpoises, and other marine life. Thousands of migratory birds rely on Bay of Fundy as their feeding ground during their long journeys across the planet, which gave Bay of Fundy a label of a World’s Bird Watching Hot Spot. Some of world’s most important fossil discoveries were made in the Bay of Fundy.

High Tide Turns Rock Formations Into Small Islands Used by Cormorants, Photo by headharbourlight, Flickr
High Tide Turns Rock Formations Into Small Islands Used by Cormorants, Photo by headharbourlight, Flickr

Fundy National Park

Parks Canada declared the forested area on the sea side of Bay of Fundy a National Park. The entrance to the park is near the village of Alma, in southern part of New Brunswick, approximately 80 km from Moncton. Fundy National Park offers 110 km of self guided interpretive hiking trails, excellent sea kayaking opportunities, lake canoeing, horseriding, mountain biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and more. Camping grounds as well as roofed accommodation are available throughout the park. When giving sea kayaking a try, keep in mind that sea levels at Bay of Fundy change quickly. By the time you’re done kayaking, the shore will not be where it was when you picked up your kayak.

Bay of Fundy Video

Bay of Fundy is truly one of the most breathtaking places on the planet and the opportunity to see the tides rise and descend within a span of hours makes for unforgettable experience. Pristine nature and sustainable coastal development put Bay of Fundy on the map of popular eco tourism spots. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience one of planets most astounding natural wonders.

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