Shubenacadie River Adventure Tours Ltd.
Shubenacadie River Adventure Tours Ltd.
What is a "Tidal Bore"?
Incoming Tidal Bore
END NAVIGATION
Tidal Bores can reach heights of 10 feet or more
Shubenacadie River Adventure Tours Ltd.

Shubenacadie River Adventure Tours
FAQs


What is a "tidal bore"?

A tidal bore is a natural phenomenon, which is seen in very few parts of the world. The Bay of Fundy is particularly noted for its extremely high tides, the highest in the world, and for its tidal bores.

As is generally known, the rise and fall of ocean tides is caused by the gravitational "pull" of the moon on the earth's watery blanket. At most places along the ocean shores, high tides occur regularly every 12 hours, 25 minutes.

In the open ocean the tide only rises and falls a fraction of a meter. However, in most V-shaped bays and inlets the tide enters the broad end and the water literally "piles up" as it moves up the bay. In certain areas, such as the Bay of Fundy, the natural period of oscillation is very, close to the tidal period and, just like water sloshing back and forth in a bowl, the rise and fall of the tide is greatly amplified.

Thus, the tide water enters the bay at its widest point, and as it passes along toward the head of the bay, it is in effect squeezed by the ever-narrowing sides and by the constant "shallowing" of the bottom.


Nasa picture
NASA photo from the Space Shuttle (October 1994)
From Bottom to Top: the Minas Channel off the Bay of Fundy; Cape Split; the Minas Basin; Cobequid Bay; and the Shubenacadie and Stewiacke River System. The Town of Truro, Nova Scotia is visable at the head of Cobequid Bay, to the far right is the city of Halifax.

"The largest tidal fluctuations in the world, sometimes exceeding 50 feet (15 meters), create a constant agitation in the sediment that is suspended in these basins. This can be seen in the discoloration at the head of the bay."

Click on the NASA photo above to zoom in on the Shubenacadie River.

 

MAP OF FUNDY

At the very head of the bay this advancing tide becomes a wave varying; from just a ripple to several feet in height, and this wave continues into and up the rivers which empty into the bay. This wave is referred to as a "Tidal Bore". Thus, we have the phenomenon of a river changing its flow before your very eyes, created by the tidal wave, or bore, flowing in OVER the outgoing river water.

The height of the tidal bore increases with the range of the tide. The range of the tide varies with the phases of the moon, the distance to the moon and other factors. For information on tide times on the Shubenacadie see our Schedule of Tides.


Information provided by the Marine Environmental Data Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, Canada.

Rafting the Shubie tidal bore
The tidal bore on the Shubenacadie River may appear inconsequential compared to the surge of water that follows in its wake.
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