The
Bay of Fundy is a
bayHeadlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
on the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast of
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, on the northeast end of the
Gulf of MaineThe Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
between the
CanadianCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
provinces of
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, with a small portion touching the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Some sources believe the name "Fundy" is a corruption of the French word "Fendu", meaning "split", while others believe it comes from the Portuguese
fondo, meaning "funnel". The bay was also named
Baie Française (French Bay) by explorer/cartographer
Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
during a 1604 expedition led by
Pierre Dugua, Sieur de MontsPierre Du Gua de Monts, was a French merchant, explorer and colonizer. A Protestant, he was born in Royan, France and had a great influence over the first two decades of the 17th century...
which resulted in a failed settlement attempt on St. Croix Island.
The Bay of Fundy is known for having the highest
tidal rangeThe tidal range is the vertical difference between the high tide and the succeeding low tide. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth...
in the world. Rivaled by
Ungava BayUngava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
in northern
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
,
King SoundKing Sound is a large gulf in northern Western Australia. It expands from the mouth of the Fitzroy River, one of Australia's largest watercourses, and opens to the Indian Ocean. It is about 120 km long, and averages about 50 km in width. The port town of Derby lies near the mouth of the...
in
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
,
Gulf of KhambhatThe Gulf of Khambhat is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. It is about 80 miles in length, and divides the Kathiawar peninsula to the west from the eastern part of Gujarat state on the east. The Narmada and Tapti rivers empty into the Gulf...
in India, and the
Severn EstuaryThe Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
in the UK, it has one of the highest vertical tidal ranges in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records (1975) declared that
Burntcoat Head, Nova ScotiaBurntcoat Head is an unincorporated Canadian community in Hants County, Nova Scotia and is known internationally as the site where it was officially recorded that the Bay of Fundy, and specifically Burntcoat, has the highest tides in the world.- Highest Tides in the World :Burntcoat Head has a...
has the highest tides in the world:
“The Natural World, Greatest Tides: The greatest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy.... Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, has the greatest mean spring range with 14.5 metres (47.5 feet) and an extreme range of 16.3 metres (53.5 feet).”
Portions of the Bay of Fundy,
Shepody BayShepody Bay is a 122 km² coastal wetland in New Brunswick, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 27, 1987, is a globally significant Important Bird Area, and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network...
and
Minas BasinThe Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
, form one of six Canadian sites in the
Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve NetworkThe Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network is a conservation strategy targeting shorebirds in the Americas launched in 1985. Its aim is to protect the nesting, breeding and staging habitats of migratory shorebirds...
, and is classified as a
Hemispheric site. It is administered by the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the
Canadian Wildlife ServiceThe Canadian Wildlife Service or CWS is a branch of the Department of the Environment, also known as Environment Canada, a department of the Government of Canada....
, and is managed in conjunction with
Ducks UnlimitedDucks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
Canada and the
Nature Conservancy of CanadaNature Conservancy of Canada is a Canadian private not-for-profit charitable environmental organisation established in 1962. The NCC works to achieve the direct protection of what they deem as Canada's most important natural treasures through property securement and long-term stewardship of...
.
In July 2009, the Bay of Fundy was named as a finalist for the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest that ended in November 2011. It was not chosen as a wonder.
Extent
The
International Hydrographic OrganizationThe International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...
defines the southwest limit of the Bay of Fundy as "A line running northwesterly from
Cape St. MaryCape St. Marys is a headland located at the western tip of the Nova Scotia peninsula in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Cape St. Marys is not the westernmost point in the province as the two islands comprising the Digby Neck, Long Island and Brier Island, lie further west.-References:*...
(44°05'N)
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, through
Machias Seal IslandMachias Seal Island is an island located in the Gulf of Maine, approximately southeast from Cutler, Maine, and approximately southwest of Southwest Head, New Brunswick on Grand Manan Island. Machias Seal Island is located at and measures approximately in area. It is a neighbour to North Rock....
(67°06'W) and on to Little River Head (44°39'N) in the State of
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
".
Tides
The Bay of Fundy is known for its high
tidal rangeTides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
. The quest for world tidal dominance has led to a rivalry between the
Minas BasinThe Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
in the Bay of Fundy and the Leaf Basin in
Ungava BayUngava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
, over which body of water lays claim to the highest tides in the world, with supporters in each region claiming the record.
The
Canadian Hydrographic ServiceThe Canadian Hydrographic Service is Canada's hydrographic office, with responsibility for performing hydrographic surveys and publishing paper and electronic nautical charts...
finally declared it a statistical tie, with measurements of a 16.8 metre (55.1 feet) tidal range in Leaf Basin for Ungava Bay and 17 meters (55.8 feet) at
Burntcoat HeadBurntcoat Head is an unincorporated Canadian community in Hants County, Nova Scotia and is known internationally as the site where it was officially recorded that the Bay of Fundy, and specifically Burntcoat, has the highest tides in the world.- Highest Tides in the World :Burntcoat Head has a...
for the Bay of Fundy. The highest water level ever recorded in the Bay of Fundy system occurred at the head of the Minas Basin on the night of October 4–5, 1869 during a
tropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
named the “
Saxby GaleThe Saxby Gale was the name given to a tropical cyclone which struck eastern Canada's Bay of Fundy region on the night of October 4-5, 1869. The storm was named for Lieutenant Stephen Martin Saxby, a naval instructor and amateur astronomer who, based on his astronomical studies, had predicted...
”. The water level of 21.6 meters (70.9 feet) resulted from the combination of high winds, abnormally low
atmospheric pressureAtmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
, and a spring tide.
Leaf Basin has only been measured in recent years, whereas the Fundy system has been measured for many decades. The tide at Leaf Basin is higher on average than tides at Minas Basin; however, the highest recorded tidal ranges ever measured are at Burntcoat Head and result from spring tides measured at the peak of the tidal cycle every 18 years.
Folklore in the Mi'kmaq First Nation claims that the tides in the Bay of Fundy are caused by a giant whale splashing in the water.
OceanographersOceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
attribute it to
tidal resonanceIn oceanography, a tidal resonance occurs when the tide excites one of the resonant modes of the ocean.The effect is most striking when a continental shelf is about a quarter wavelength wide...
resulting from a coincidence of timing: the time it takes a large wave to go from the mouth of the bay to the inner shore and back is practically the same as the time from one high tide to the next. During the 12.4 hour tidal period, 115 billion tonnes of water flow in and out of the bay.
The tides in the Bay of Fundy are semidiurnal. Semidiurnal tides are tides that have two highs and two lows each day. The height that the water rises and falls to each day during these tides are approximately equal. There are approximately six hours and thirteen minutes between each high and low tide.
Tidal electrical power generation
Several proposals to build
tidal harnessesTidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....
for
electrical power generationElectricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
have been put forward in recent decades. Such proposals have mainly involved building
barragesA weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
which effectively dam off a smaller arm of the bay and extract power from water flowing through them.
One such facility, (the only one of its kind currently operating) the
Annapolis Royal Generating StationThe Annapolis Royal Generating Station is a 20 MW tidal power station located on the Annapolis River immediately upstream from the town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only tidal generating station in North America. The generating station harnesses the tidal difference...
consists of a dam and 18-MW power house on the
Annapolis RiverThe Annapolis River is a Canadian river located in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.-Geography:Measuring 120 kilometres in length, the river flows southwest through the western part of the valley from its source in Caribou Bog near the villages of Aylesford and Berwick in western Kings County, to...
at
Annapolis RoyalAnnapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
, but larger proposals have been held back by a number of factors, including environmental concerns. The Annapolis Royal Generating Station has been studied for its various effects, including an accelerated shoreline erosion problem on the historic waterfront of the town of Annapolis Royal, as well as increased siltation and heavy metal and pesticide contamination upstream due to lack of regular river/tidal flushing. There have also been instances where large marine mammals such as whales have become trapped in the head pond after transiting the sluice gates during slack tide.
There have been proposals in recent years for installing underwater hydrofoils, which would not require any damming or blockading of parts of the bay but would instead generate power solely by being placed in areas of high water flow, such as at choke points or merely along the floor of any part of the bay which experiences strong currents.
Geology
The Bay of Fundy lies in a
rift valleyA rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift or fault. This action is manifest as crustal extension, a spreading apart of the surface which is subsequently further deepened by the forces of erosion...
called the
Fundy BasinThe Fundy Basin is a sediment-filled rift basin on the Atlantic coast of southeastern Canada. It contains three sub-basins; the Fundy sub-basin, the Minas Basin and the Chignecto Basin. These arms meet at the Bay of Fundy, which is contained within the rift valley. From the Bay of Fundy, the Minas...
; as the
riftIn geology, a rift or chasm is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics....
began to separate from mainland North America, volcanic activity occurred, forming
volcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es and
flood basaltA flood basalt or trap basalt is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that coats large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Flood basalts have occurred on continental scales in prehistory, creating great plateaus and mountain ranges...
s. These flood basalts poured out over the landscape, covering much of southern Nova Scotia. Sections of the flood basalts have been eroded away, but still form a
basaltBasalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic
mountain rangeA mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
known as
North MountainNorth Mountain is a narrow southwest-northeast trending volcanic mountain range on the mainland portion of southwestern Nova Scotia, stretching from Brier Island to Cape Split...
. As a result, much of the basin floor is made of tholeiitic basalts giving its brown colour. The rift valley eventually failed (
see aulacogenIn geology, an aulacogen is a failed arm of a triple junction of a plate tectonics rift system. A triple junction beneath a continental plate initiates a three way breakup of the continental plate. As the continental break-up develops one of the three spreading ridges typically fails or stops...
) as the
Mid-Atlantic RidgeThe Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South...
continued to separate North America, Europe, and Africa.
Sub-basins
The upper part of the bay splits into
Chignecto BayChignecto Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and separated from the waters of the Northumberland Strait by the Isthmus of Chignecto. It is a unit within the greater Gulf of Maine Watershed...
in the northeast and the
Minas BasinThe Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
in the east. Chignecto Bay is further subdivided into Cumberland Basin and
Shepody BayShepody Bay is a 122 km² coastal wetland in New Brunswick, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 27, 1987, is a globally significant Important Bird Area, and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network...
and the extreme eastern portion of
Minas BasinThe Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
is called
Cobequid BayCobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The bay was carved by rivers flowing into the eastern end of the Bay of Fundy....
. Some of these upper reaches exhibit exposed red
bay mudBay mud consists of thick deposits of soft, unconsolidated silty clay, which is saturated with water; these soil layers are situated at the bottom of certain estuaries, which are normally in temperate regions that have experienced cyclical glacial cycles...
s, for which the Bay of Fundy is noted (for their appearance and biological productivity).
Cape ChignectoCape Chignecto is a headland located on the Bay of Fundy coast of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Cape Chignecto is located at the westernmost tip of Cumberland County and is the western limit of the Cobequid Hills, a low mountain range that is part of the Appalachian Mountains and extends...
defines
Chignecto BayChignecto Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and separated from the waters of the Northumberland Strait by the Isthmus of Chignecto. It is a unit within the greater Gulf of Maine Watershed...
whereas Cape Split defines the Minas Channel, leading to the
Minas BasinThe Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
. The Minas Channel connects the Minas Basin with the main body of the bay. The channel is 5.6 kilometers across and approximately 106.7 meters deep. The tides that flow through the channel are very powerful. They are as powerful as 8000 train engines or 25 million horses.
The lower part of the bay is also home to four important sub-basins:
Passamaquoddy BayPassamaquoddy Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine. The southernmost point is formed by...
and Back Bay on the New Brunswick shore,
Cobscook BayCobscook Bay is located in Washington County in the state of Maine. It opens into the Bay of Fundy immediately south of the city of Eastport and adjacent to Passamaquoddy Bay...
on the Maine shore, and the
Annapolis BasinThe Annapolis Basin is a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy, located on the southwestern shores of the bay, along the northwestern shore of Nova Scotia and at the western end of the Annapolis Valley....
on the Nova Scotia shore.
The bay is home to several islands, the largest of which is Grand Manan Island at the boundary with the
Gulf of MaineThe Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
. Other important islands on the north side of the bay include Campobello Island, Moose Island, and
Deer IslandDeer Island is a Canadian island located in the Bay of Fundy at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay.Elizabeth Rolfe died here in 1635. She was born in 1620 to English colonist John Rolfe and his third wife Jane Pierce. Her husband was John Milner of Nansemond, Virginia. At 45 km², the island is the...
in the
Passamaquoddy BayPassamaquoddy Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine. The southernmost point is formed by...
area.
Brier IslandBrier Island is an island in the Bay of Fundy in Digby County, Nova Scotia.-Geography:The island is the western-most part of Nova Scotia and the southern end of the North Mountain ridge with Long Island lying immediately northeast; both islands constitute part of the Digby Neck...
and Long Island can be found on the south side of the bay while
Isle HauteIsle Haute is a remote island in the middle of upper Bay of Fundy near the entrance to the Minas Basin 16 kilometers from the coast of Harbourville and 8 kilometers south-southwest of Cape Chignecto Nova Scotia . The island is part of Cumberland County and is 3 KM long and 0.4 KM wide...
is in the upper bay off Cape Chignecto. Smaller islands and islets also exist in Passamaquoddy Bay, Back Bay, and
Annapolis BasinThe Annapolis Basin is a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy, located on the southwestern shores of the bay, along the northwestern shore of Nova Scotia and at the western end of the Annapolis Valley....
. The
Five IslandsFive Islands is a rural community in Colchester County Nova Scotia with a population of 300 located on the north shore of the Minas Basin, home of the highest tides in the world...
, in the Minas Basin, are particularly scenic.
The Bay of Fundy is also home to another interesting geologic feature, the
Hopewell RocksThe Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion in The Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site in New Brunswick....
formation. This formation is where the “famous flower-pot rocks” are located on a short, one kilometer long portion of
Shepody BayShepody Bay is a 122 km² coastal wetland in New Brunswick, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 27, 1987, is a globally significant Important Bird Area, and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network...
. These rocks are shaped by the tides, the strength of the rocks, and the presence of the joints in the rocks. The rock in the cliffs the stacks are being cut from are arkosic sandstone and coarse poorly sorted conglomerates. The tides that are eroding away the cliffs are between 10.7 meters and 14.7 meters high on average.
Rivers
The bay receives the waters of several rivers, including:
New Brunswick
- Big Salmon River
- Little Salmon River
The Little Salmon River is a tributary of the Salmon River in the U.S. state of Idaho. The river is some long and drains of land.-Course:It rises at in elevation on Blue Bunch Ridge in the Sawtooth Range of south-central Idaho, close to Payette Lake...
- Magaguadavic River
The Magaguadavic River is a historic Canadian river located in the province of New Brunswick.The name "Magaguadavic" is a Maliseet / Passamaquoddy term that is believed to translate into "River of Eels". It is most commonly pronounced "mack-uh-day-vick" or "mack-uh-day-vee".-Description:With a...
- Memramcook River
- Petitcodiac River
The Petitcodiac River is a Canadian river in south-eastern New Brunswick. The river runs about through the province's Westmorland, Albert, and Kings counties, draining a watershed area of about . The region around the river features valleys, ridges, and rolling hills, and is home to a diverse...
- Quiddy River
- Saint John River
- St. Croix River
The St. Croix River is a river in northeastern North America, in length, that forms part of the Canada – United States border between Maine and New Brunswick . The river rises in the Chiputneticook Lakes and flows south and southeast, between Calais and St. Stephen...
- Shepody River
- Tantramar River
- Upper Salmon River
The Upper Salmon River divides Fundy National Park and the village of Alma, New Brunswick at its delta. Here, it is inundated with tidal water from the Salisbury Bay a kilometer to the site of a former dam, making for a large estuary and inter-tidal zone...
Nova Scotia
- Annapolis River
The Annapolis River is a Canadian river located in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.-Geography:Measuring 120 kilometres in length, the river flows southwest through the western part of the valley from its source in Caribou Bog near the villages of Aylesford and Berwick in western Kings County, to...
- Avon River
The Avon River is a small Canadian river in central Nova Scotia.A northerly flowing river, the Avon River flows rises on South Mountain, southwest of the town of Windsor. Its meander length is...
- Cornwallis River
The Cornwallis River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada.It has a meander length of approximately 48 km from its source on the North Mountain near Berwick to its mouth near Wolfville on the Minas Basin. The lower portion of the river is tidal and there are extensive tidal marshes in the lower...
- Farrell River
Farrell River is a small river that flows from MacAloney's Lake into Parrsboro Harbour on the Minas Basin near the town of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia....
- Salmon River
The Salmon River is a Canadian river in central Nova Scotia's Colchester County.Rising in the Cobequid Hills in the central-northeastern part of the county, the river descends through a broad glacial valley at the head of Cobequid Bay, the eastern extremity of the Bay of Fundy...
- Shubenacadie River
The Shubenacadie River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada.It has a meander length of approximately 72 km from its source at Shubenacadie Grand Lake to its mouth at the historic seaport village of Maitland on Cobequid Bay, site of the building of the William D. Lawrence, the largest wooden ship ever...
The bay's extreme tidal range causes several interesting phenomena in the various rivers which empty into it.
The Saint John River sees its flow reversed at high tide, causing a series of rapids at the famous
Reversing FallsThe Reversing Falls are a series of rapids on the Saint John River located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the river runs through a narrow gorge before emptying into the Bay of Fundy....
where the river empties into the bay, in a gorge in the middle of the city of
Saint JohnCity of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
.
Rivers in the upper Bay of Fundy have a smaller flow-rate than the Saint John, and a shallower slope. As a result, extensive mud flats are deposited throughout the tidal range of the rivers.
Another phenomenon which occurs in these rivers of the upper bay is a "
tidal boreA tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the river or bay's current...
", where a wave front of water "bores" its way up a river against its normal flow. One of the better examples of a tidal bore can be seen on the Shubenacadie River near the town of
Truro-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
and the village of Maitland, where local
ecotourismEcotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
operators offer the chance to experience rafting the bore upriver. Another good example of a tidal bore may be viewed on the Salmon River in the town of
Truro-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
. The once-famous tidal bores on the Petitcodiac and Avon rivers have been severely disrupted as a result of
causewayIn modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
construction in the 1960s–1970s which have caused excessive siltation.
Communities
The largest population centre on the bay is the New Brunswick city of
Saint JohnCity of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
.
Though up-river on the Petitcodiac, the city of Moncton is also frequently associated with the Bay of Fundy.
The New Brunswick towns of
St. AndrewsSt. Andrews is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.It is sometimes referred to in tourism marketing by its unofficial nickname "St. Andrews-by-the-sea".-Geography:St...
,
Blacks HarbourBlacks Harbour is a Canadian village in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.Referred to simply as Blacks by locals, the village is situated on a harbour of the same name opening onto the Bay of Fundy. It is situated 15 kilometres southeast of the town of St...
,
St. MartinsSt. Martins is a Canadian village in Saint John County, New Brunswick.The picturesque community is 40 km east of Saint John and is situated on the Bay of Fundy. St. Martins was incorporated in 1967....
and
SackvilleSackville is a Canadian town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.Mount Allison University is located in the town...
as well as the Nova Scotia towns of
AmherstAmherst is a Canadian town in northwestern Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, Amherst is strategically situated on the eastern boundary of the Tantramar Marshes 3 kilometres east of the interprovincial border with New...
,
ParrsboroParrsboro is a Canadian town located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.The town is known for its port on the Minas Basin, the Ship's Company Theatre productions and the Fundy Geological Museum.-History:...
,
Truro-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
,
WindsorWindsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
,
WolfvilleWolfville is a small town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. As of 2006, the population was 3,772....
,
Annapolis RoyalAnnapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
, and
DigbyDigby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
are also on the bay.
History
The Mi'kmaq had fished in the Bay of Fundy and lived in communities around the bay for centuries. The first European settlement was at Île-Saint-Croix and then
Port RoyalPort Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
was founded by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons and
Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
in 1605. The village was the first permanent European settlement north of
St. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
. (Two years later, the English made their first permanent settlement in
Jamestown, VirginiaJamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
.) Approximately seventy-five years after Port Royal was founded, Acadians migrated from the capital and established what would become the other major Acadian settlements before the Expulsion of the Acadians: Grand Pré,
ChignectoThe Isthmus of Chignecto is an isthmus bordering the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia which connects the Nova Scotia peninsula with North America....
,
CobequidThe old name Cobequid was derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Wagobagitk" meaning "the bay runs far up", in reference to the area surrounding the easternmost inlet of the Minas Basin, a body of water called Cobequid Bay....
(present-day
Truro, Nova Scotia-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
) and
PisiguitIn the Minas Basin of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia, the settlement of Grand-Pré grew eastward towards the Pisiquid River. This settlement became known as Pisiguit or . Pisiguit came from the Mi'kmaq term Pesaquid, meaning "Junction of Waters". It became so large that it was viewed as...
(present-day
Windsor, Nova ScotiaWindsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
).
There were numerous naval battles as well as naval attacks on the settlements surrounding the Bay of Fundy. Port Royal was raided numerous times before the four
French and Indian WarsThe French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
began with
King William's WarThe first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
. During King William's War, there was the naval
Action of 14 July 1696The Action of 14 July 1696 was a naval battle between France and England toward the end of King Williams War in the Bay of Fundy off present-day Saint John, New Brunswick...
off
Saint John, New BrunswickCity of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
and Major Benjamin Church arrived by sea from Boston and raided various Acadian communities around the Bay (See
Raid on Chignecto (1696)The Raid on Chignecto occurred during King Williams War when New England forces from Boston attacked the Isthmus of Chignecto, Acadia in present-day Nova Scotia. The raid was in retaliation for the French and Indian Siege of Pemaquid at present day Bristol, Maine. In the English Province of...
). During
Queen Anne's WarQueen Anne's War , as the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession was known in the British colonies, was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought between France and England, later Great Britain, in North America for control of the continent. The War of the...
, Church attacked the Acadian communities around the Bay again (See
Raid on Grand PréThe Raid on Grand Pré was the major action of a raiding expedition conducted by New England militia Colonel Benjamin Church against French Acadia in June 1704, during Queen Anne's War...
).
During
Father Le Loutre's WarFather Le Loutre’s War , also known as the Indian War, the Micmac War and the Anglo-Micmac War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the British and New England colonists were led by British Officer Charles...
, there were naval assaults on the communities of Chignecto (See
Battle at ChignectoThe Battle at Chignecto happened during Father Le Loutre’s War and was fought by 700 troops made up of British regulars led by Charles Lawrence, New England Rangers led by John Gorham and Captain John Rous led the navy. They fought against a militia made up of Mi’kmaq and Acadians led by...
). Finally, during the last
French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, the British expelled the Acadians in the
Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)The Bay of Fundy Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when the British ordered the Expulsion of the Acadians from Acadia after the Battle of Beausejour . The Campaign started at Chignecto and then quickly moved to Grand Pré, Rivière-aux-Canards, Pisiguit, Cobequid, and finally Port...
, which was followed three years later with campaigns which targeted the
Saint John RiverThe St. John River Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when Colonel Robert Monckton led a force of 1150 British soldiers to destroy the Acadian settlements along the banks of the Saint John River until they reached the largest village of Sainte-Anne des Pays-Bas in February 1759...
and the
Petitcodiac RiverThe Petitcodiac River Campaign was a series of British military operations from June to November 1758, during the French and Indian War, to deport the Acadians that either lived along the Petitcodiac River or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations, such as the Ile Saint-Jean...
.
During the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, American Patriots attacked by sea both Saint John, New Brunswick and
Annapolis Royal, Nova ScotiaAnnapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
. After the War, the boundary between the United States and the newly-created province of
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
remained uncertain, resulting in a thriving
smugglingSmuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
trade in the region, especially on the waters of
Passamaquoddy BayPassamaquoddy Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine. The southernmost point is formed by...
. The Bay saw some action during the War of 1812 as well, mostly in the form of privateering and small patrol ships. After the War of 1812, the smuggling resumed and culminated in the so-called "plaster war" of 1820.
Ports and shipping
The port of Saint John gives access to the
pulp and paperPulp and Paper is the name of the largest United States-based trade magazine for the pulp and paper industry. See also: Paper engineering, Pulp and Paper Merit Badge...
industry and the
IrvingIrving Oil is a gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company. It is also one of the few energy companies in Canada to publicly support the Kyoto Accord. Irving Oil operates one large oil refinery...
oil refineryAn oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
.
Hantsport, Nova ScotiaHantsport is a rural Canadian town and seaport located in the western part of Hants County, Nova Scotia. Hantsport is located just south of the county boundary with Kings County, and sits on the west bank of the Avon River in a tidal estuary.The town is most best known for its history of...
, on the Avon River is also home to a pulp and paper mill and is the shipment point for raw
gypsumGypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
exports to the United States. The ports of
Bayside, New BrunswickBayside is a community in the Canadian province of New Brunswick....
, (near St. Andrews) and
Eastport, MaineEastport is a small city in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2000 census. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainland by causeway...
, are important local ports.
A result of shipping traffic has been the potential for increased collisions between ships and the
North Atlantic right whaleThe North Atlantic right whale which means "good, or true, whale of the ice") is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena, formerly classified as a single species. With only 400 in existence, North Atlantic right whales are among the most endangered whales...
. In 2003, the
Canadian Coast GuardThe Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
adjusted shipping lanes crossing prime whale feeding areas at the entrance to the Bay of Fundy to lessen the risk of collision.
The bay is also traversed by several passenger and automobile
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
services:
- Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, to Digby, Nova ScotiaDigby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
. (Operated by Bay Ferries Limited.)
- Grand Manan Island
Grand Manan Island is a Canadian island, and the largest in the Bay of Fundy. It is also the primary island in the Grand Manan Archipelago, sitting at the boundary between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic coast. Grand Manan is jurisdictionally part of Charlotte County in...
to Blacks Harbour, New BrunswickBlacks Harbour is a Canadian village in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.Referred to simply as Blacks by locals, the village is situated on a harbour of the same name opening onto the Bay of Fundy. It is situated 15 kilometres southeast of the town of St...
and White Head Island, New BrunswickWhite Head Island is a Canadian island located in the Bay of Fundy.Administratively part of Charlotte County, New Brunswick, the island is located off the east coast of Grand Manan Island and hosts a community of 188 residents....
, to Grand Manan Island. (Operated by Coastal Transport LimitedCoastal Transport Limited is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada on the Bay of Fundy with headquarters in Saint John, New Brunswick....
.)
- Deer Island
Deer Island is a Canadian island located in the Bay of Fundy at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay.Elizabeth Rolfe died here in 1635. She was born in 1620 to English colonist John Rolfe and his third wife Jane Pierce. Her husband was John Milner of Nansemond, Virginia. At 45 km², the island is the...
to Letete, New Brunswick. (The Letete to Deer Island FerryThe Letete to Deer Island Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The ferry crosses Passamaquoddy Bay, linking Letete on the east side of the bay to Deer Island towards the west side of the bay. It is currently served by the ferries Deer Island Princess II and John E. Rigby. The...
, operated by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation.)
- Campobello Island, New Brunswick
Campobello Island is a Canadian island located at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay, adjacent to the entrance to Cobscook Bay, and within the Bay of Fundy...
, to Deer Island. Eastport, MaineEastport is a small city in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2000 census. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainland by causeway...
, to Deer Island. (Operated by East Coast Ferries Limited.)
- Westport, Nova Scotia
Westport, Nova Scotia is a village in Digby County, Nova Scotia and it is located on Brier Island in the Bay of Fundy. The village was incorporated in 1946. A ferry service connects the village with Freeport, Nova Scotia on Long Island...
, (Brier Island) to Freeport, Nova ScotiaFreeport, Nova Scotia is a village in Digby Country, Nova Scotia and it is located on Long Island in the Bay of Fundy.At the end of Digby Neck on Long Island, Freeport is a working fishing village nestled around tidal basin...
, (Long Island). Tiverton, Nova ScotiaTiverton is a small village located on the northeast tip of Long Island, Nova Scotia. Tiverton has a population of about 300 people .The main industry is lobster fishing, while a second, and growing industry, is tourism. The Bay of Fundy is known for whale watching, and Tiverton and the surrounding...
, (Long Island) to East Ferry, Nova Scotia East Ferry is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the District of Clare in Digby County on Digby Neck.-References:*...
. (Operated by Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works.)
The Bay of Fundy's ports and basins have a long shipping and shipbuilding history. Among other accomplishments, Fundy ports produced the fastest ship in the world, the ship
Marco PoloMarco Polo was a 3-masted wooden clipper ship, launched in 1851 at Saint John, New Brunswick. It was named after Venetian explorer Marco Polo.-Construction and design:She measured 184 feet in length, with a beam of 36 feet, and draught of 29 feet...
; the largest wooden ship ever built in Canada, the ship
William D. LawrenceWilliam D. Lawrence was a full-rigged sailing ship built in Maitland, Nova Scotia along the Minas Basin and named after her builder, the merchant and politician William Dawson Lawrence ....
; and the first female sea captain in the western world,
Molly KoolMyrtle 'Molly' Kool was North America's first registered female sea captain or ship master.She was born in Alma, New Brunswick, the daughter of Myrtle Anderson and Paul Kool, a Dutch sailor. She grew up sailing, eventually becoming captain of the Jean K, a 21-metre scow owned by her father...
of
Alma, New BrunswickAlma is a village in the parish of Alma, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada. The village is centered on the small delta of the Upper Salmon River and Cleveland Brook, where they empty into Salisbury Bay....
. The fabled mystery ship the
Mary CelesteThe Mary Celeste was an American brigantine merchant ship famous for having been discovered on 4 December 1872, in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and apparently abandoned , despite the fact that the weather was fine and her crew had been experienced and able...
was also built on the Bay.
Parks and protected areas
A number of parks preserve and interpret the Bay of Fundy's coastal ecosystem. They include
Fundy National ParkFundy National Park is located on the Bay of Fundy, near the village of Alma, New Brunswick. The Park showcases both seashore habitats and highland Acadian forests...
in New Brunswick and
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park and Five Islands Provincial Park and
Blomidon Provincial ParkBlomidon Provincial Park is a camping and day-use park located at Cape Blomidon on the shores of the Minas Basin in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its hiking and spectacular views over the world's highest tides. Blomidon is located on 1,875 acres of land with 600 ft high cliffs...
in Nova Scotia. The
Canadian Wildlife ServiceThe Canadian Wildlife Service or CWS is a branch of the Department of the Environment, also known as Environment Canada, a department of the Government of Canada....
maintains a number of National Wildlife Areas in the Bay of Fundy including a proposed designation of
Isle HauteIsle Haute is a remote island in the middle of upper Bay of Fundy near the entrance to the Minas Basin 16 kilometers from the coast of Harbourville and 8 kilometers south-southwest of Cape Chignecto Nova Scotia . The island is part of Cumberland County and is 3 KM long and 0.4 KM wide...
in the middle of the Bay.
See also
- Central Nova Tourist Association
The Central Nova Tourist Association is one of seven provincially recognized tourist associations that work directly with It is a membership based organization that is dedicated to promoting and supporting tourism in the Central Nova Scotia region .-Area Information:image:...
— Tourism Association Representing Cumberland and Colchester County.
External links