Ten Facts About The Bay Of Fundy

Some very interesting aspects about the world's biggest tides

The Bay of Fundy is famous the world over. While tides are nothing out of the ordinary for many places, they are truly spectacular in this location in New Brunswick where the tidal range is 16 metres, or 52 feet..

Let’s look at some of the fascinating facts about the Bay of Fundy.

• It takes about 13 hours for the water in the Bay of Fundy to go from the mouth of the bay to the head of the bay and then back again. The tide rises and falls every 12 hours and 25 minutes.

• The reason that the tides are so strong in the Bay of Fundy is because of the funnel-shaped bay. In all, 100 billion tons of water flows in and out of the bay in one 12-hour tidal cycle.

• During certain times of the year, the tide will adjust 53.5 feet in total, which is higher than a three-storey building. This will happen every 206 days when the moon is at its closest to the Earth.

• The tides are at their highest twice per month and are called spring tides, despite having nothing to do with the spring season. These tides happen twice a month when the sun and moon are in alignment.

• Bay of Fundy is famous for its tides, but it also has the largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere. The Old Sow Whirlpool is also the second-largest in the world. 

• Due to the constant movement of the tides, many rock faces have been eroded in the bay. They have helped to expose many fossils, and the Fundy tides have exposed the richest deposits of Carboniferous fossils in the world. 

• The Bay of Fundy, and the Fundy National Park forest, have some of the highest marine biodiversity in the world, comparable to that of the Amazon Rainforest.

• Where does the name come from? Well, the word Fundy appears to be a corruption of Fendu, the French word for split. Others feel it may come from funda, the Portuguese word for deep.

• When the tides are moving, the power of the Bay of Fundy can reverse the flow of rivers that go into the bay. This tidal bore, which happens twice a day, reverses the rivers so they seem to move backwards. 

• Between July and October, there are roughly two million sandpipers found in the bay. They represent 75 to 95 per cent of the world’s population. They will double their weights before flying 4,000 kilometres to South America.