It is impossible to talk about the Bay of Fundy without talking about tides. The ebb and flow of the Fundy tides are equal to the output of 250 nuclear power stations. This massive amount of untapped energy fuels a fragile ecosystem that provides a nutritious food supply for numerous species of bottom-dwelling organisims, birds, fish and the world's largest mammals, whales.
Twice a day the Bay of Fundy fills and empties from the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the earth. Often the tides begin with a significant wave called The Bore. One of the finest examples of the Bore in Nova Scotia is on the largest river in the province, the Shubenacadie. The Bay of Fundy provides the fuel for the exciting Tidal Bore on the Shubenacadie River system. There are several companies in the region providing rafting tours as this wall of water advances up the river.
Tides in the Bay of Fundy proper (along south western Nova Scotia) can reach a height of 3.5 meters (11 ft.), while tides near the head of the Bay (in the Minas Basin into which the Shubenacadie River flows) can rise and fall 13 meters (43 ft.) on average and reach an unbelievable 16 meters (53 ft.) during the springtime. |
Whale Near Western Light
A humpback whale dives in the Bay of Fundy near Brier Island, Nova Scotia. In the background is the picturesque Western Light.
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An Important Birding Destination
A rock formation near Western Light, Westport, Brier Island. The area is a popular birding destination in Nova Scotia and a well-known bird watching destination in North America.
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Highest Tides in the World
The tides of the Bay of Fundy are the highest in the world. This fact along attracts hundreds of visitors to the region every year.
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The tides (the highest in the world) and the fragile and diverse ecosystem that is the Bay of Fundy, produces and equally diverse geological landscape. There are dramatic cliffs, breathtaking rock and eroding red sandstone formations, miles of mud flats, beautiful marsh plateaus and volcanic rock that often reveal unique fossile from millions of years of tidal ation.
Brier Island is typical of the Fundy geological landscape and the wester-most piece of land in the province of Nova Scotia. The Island, off Digby Neck, is only accessible by boat of ferry - car ferries leave Digby Neck for nearby Tiverton, on Long Island on the half-hour and leave Freeport, Long Island for Westport, Brier Island on the hour. A visit to Brier Island makes an exciting and unique day trip for visitors to the province.
Known as the Fundy Graveyard and Gateway to the Bay of Fundy, Brier Island is rich in wild flowers and endangered plant species, picturesque light-houses, and unique rock formations. An established destination for naturalists and birders across North America, Brier Island is a major stopover for thousands of migrating birds. In the fall, the hawk migration is a spectacular site as thousands of hawks do aerial displays for excited onlookers.
Brier Island is perhaps best known in recent years for whale watching. A variety of whale species can be observed from shore, but the most spectacular viewing is in the deep waters of the Bay of Fundy. The whales are abundant in the region and several established tour operators offer a unique opportunity to observe whales up close, in the wild. |
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info@whalewatchingtours.info
