The highest tides in the world are found in the Bay of Fundy, which borders the south side of the Canada’s New Brunswick. Nearly everywhere else they are three feet, but here, in this Marine Wonder of the World, they reach 50 feet, as high as a four-story building. It’s the same volume of water as if every river and stream in the world emptied at once — 100 billion tons.
The Bay of Fundy, a semi-enclosed body of water, is a funnel-shaped estuary. There are other such shaped bays in the world–in Korea, Alaska and France–but this is the only bay that coincides to the ocean system of tides. Because of the length and depth of the Fundy, it takes 13.3 hours for the tide to journey up to the far reaches of the bay and flow back out again. The length of time it takes to completely fill and empty the bay coincides nearly exactly with the next high tide, 12.42 hours. The shape and depth of the Bay of Fundy is perfect for these two tides collide and create a phenomenon known in physics as resonance. Like water sloshing back and forth in a bathtub, where every wave amplifies the next wave, the tides of Fundy combine forces and are able to reach dramatic heights and power, in perfect harmony and total sync with phases of the moon and the rotation of the earth. For these reasons I decided to visit this part of North America and discover all that the Bay of Fundy has to offer the outdoor enthusiast.
HOPEWELL ROCKS
This morning, the bay waters are out and I am walking on the ocean floor. There is no better place to witness the work of these tremendous tides than at Hopewell Rocks at the head of the bay. Here the tides have steadily worn away the base of cliffs to create geological formations known as “The Flowerpots.”
These isolated rock pillars are actually vaselike, for their bases, worn by the tides, are smaller in diameter than their tops, which flare above the high-tide mark. The giant pots hold a bouquet of spruce trees. I feel dwarfed by the 18-foot-tall “Lover’s Arch,” the most photographed spot in New Brunswick and the site of many weddings.
This is also a great spot to wander out onto the ocean floor and examine the world that is covered up on most beaches. Cream-colored barnacles have glued themselves to the rocks with bissel threads, hair-like arms with the strength of steel. The different seaweeds here grow 32 feet in the air.
You can access this beach at low tide by a railed set of concrete steps constructed by the provincial park. There is a notice at the head of the stairs stating the time you must leave the beach to avoid being trapped by the rising tide. After that, in a kayak you can poke around the “pots” that turn into tiny islets at high tide. It is no wonder Hopewell Rocks won the award for the best attraction in all of Canada–a competition with 400 entries and only seven winners.
ADVENTURE PROGRAMS AND LEARNING QUESTS
Tourists usually passed through New Brunswick on their way to somewhere else (Nova Scotia, for one). The average stay in this province was only one night until about 10 years ago. Now it is five days, thanks to the new programs designed to educate the public on what there is to see and do. New Brunswick offers 200 adventures from rappelling to whale watching to horseback riding along the salt marshes. The adventures are easy to buy at the Day Adventure network throughout the province. Just pop in (no reservations are needed), pick your adventure and head out–activities, guides (when required) and equipment are included.
Learning Quest programs are adventures for the mind and soul, an interactive way to taste, touch, feel and experience what local life is really like. A local dulse picker shows you how to harvest this tasty, crunchy purple sea vegetable from the bay’s shores. You can learn how sailors used the stars to navigate and there are culinary adventures–cooking up tasty salmon or making bread Acadian style.
There are also multi-day vacations, which have been recognized by a panel of industry experts, with the Savvy Traveler designation, for extraordinary experience, creative theme and unique features.
BROADLEAF GUEST RANCH
Not far from Hopewell Rocks is the Broadleaf Guest Ranch, which offers horseback riding experiences on the reclaimed salt flats surrounding the Bay of Fundy. Before European settlement, these plains were natural salt marshes, open to the sea. The high Fundy tides deposited many layers of silt, making the lands extremely fertile. The region’s first settlers, the Acadians, from France, chose to dike the lands for agricultural purposes and this particular ranch is lush with a wide grass called “broadleaf.”
On top of these ancient dikes I rode my Appaloosa, enjoying the sounds of the birds, the delicious breeze and the far-reaching views of the bay. Across the water I see Mary’s Point and the home of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Preserve. This small land hook shelters the feeding grounds for migratory shorebirds, particularly the semipalmated sandpipers.
From mid-July to early August, it is not uncommon to see up to 2 million sandpipers, a spectacular sight, flying and diving and combing the mud flats for the small invertebrate known as the mudshrimp. There are up to 60,000 of these shrimp in 1.2 square yards of mud. The pipers will double their size during their two-week visit to this “fat station,” in preparation for their 2,500-mile transatlantic nonstop flight to South America.
Across from Mary’s Point I saw Grindstone Island and its lighthouse, so named because of the large pieces of rock quarried there to be made into grinding stones. We rode through Sawmill Bridge, a covered bridge dating back to 1908, headed for the barn to continue our adventures on the Bay of Fundy.
FUNDY NATIONAL PARK AND FUNDY TRAIL PARKWAY
From the head of the bay, I moved down the coast to Fundy National Park, which sits right on the Bay of Fundy, which offers first-class camping, an interpretive center, an extensive trail system and a challenging golf course. It boasts five family campgrounds, 13 backcountry sites and more than 100 kilometers of trails. I checked out the Shiphaven Trail along the coast for its beauty and history.
The trail leads to Wolf Cove, a sheltered harbor where, in the 1800s, great four-masted schooners from Boston entered the Wolf River. Since this area was once a thriving lumber camp, the ships would cautiously maneuver into the cove to get loaded with lumber, bound for the shipbuilding centers of St. Martin’s down the bay.
The trail coincides with a scenic auto drive that is 11 kilometers long. The Parkway opened in 1998 and there are 24 lookouts, eight parking lots and an interpretive center to enhance your experience.
The not-for-profit organization that runs the park, Fundy Trail Development Authority, Inc., even positioned eight water coolers with paper cups along the way, which are replenished daily. I descended 500 meters from the top of the sea cliffs towards Melvin Beach, grateful for the asphalt on the steepest hills. The blacktop was laid to help the mountain bikers climb the 14 percent grade. Speed-limit signs are posted to prevent hikers from getting run over by the cyclists and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol it.
The forest comprises yellow birches and fragrant balsam fir trees. The ground is covered with white flowering bunchberry plants. We paused to gaze across to beautiful Pangburn Beach, an off-trail scramble down, but well worth the visit. Down on the bay is a side trail leading to the beautiful five-tiered waterfall of Fuller Brook.
One of the nicest services the Parkway offers is a free shuttle bus that runs from 12-6 p.m. along the auto road. This allows hikers to proceed in a straight line and not backtrack and to choose a walk relative to their fitness level.
THE ALGONQUIN AND ST. ANDREWS BY-THE-SEA
When I arrived at the historic town of St. Andrews by-the-sea and checked in to the Algonquin Hotel, I knew I’d saved the best for last. The main plot of St. Andrews’ downtown has been designated a National Historic District and many of the more than 250 homes up to 200 years old have been marked with descriptive plaques by the St. Andrews Civic Trust. Around the turn of the century, St. Andrews flourished as Canada’s first seaside resort town and attracted many prominent families. But it is the castle-on-the-hill, the Algonquin, that commands attention.
When I pulled up to the door, I was greeted by young men dressed in Scottish kilts playing bagpipes. This grand old hotel features 250 rooms, including 13 suites, and combines classic styling and modern amenities. From here, I went out to play on sea kayaks and a tall sailing ship for the climax of my Bay of Fundy adventure.
The tides at southern reaches of the bay nearby churn up incredible amounts of tiny plants and animals. The seaweeds pile up on shore at low tide, start to compost and then, with the next high tide, release nutrients. So all types of sea creatures are drawn to the waters here to feast. Fish from every major river system come here to take advantage of the summer feed. The American shad come all the way from Florida, and whales abound. The rare right whale (there may be fewer than 350 in the world) is drawn to the bay, along with humpbacks, minke and finback, totaling 15 species of toothed and baleen whales. Harbor porpoises and white-sided dolphins are also part of the show. The season lasts from mid-June to mid-October.
THE TALL SHIP CORY
Whale watching in season is a common pastime when riding the tall sailing ship, the Cory. This 72-foot pilot cutter is a replica of the famous 1900s’ Jolie Brise, built by skipper Marc Witteveen from New Zealand. After sailing the world for six years and 20,000 nautical miles, the Cory now caters to St. Andrews’ visitors. Barefoot Jamie Steel was the on-board naturalist, and he enhanced our three-hour trip with fascinating facts and stories.
We left the shelter of Passamoquody Bay and headed to the Bay of Fundy through a constricted passage. There we witnessed the powerful tides and colliding currents that make huge whirlpools that rocked our 40-ton boat from side to side. Steel pointed out eider ducks, harbor seals and weir stakes around the islands. A weir–cedar poles stuck into the ground in a circular design–is a barricade to trap fish. The 40-foot long poles are pile-driven into the sea floor.
The ship’s crew served hot cider and a curry dish to warm us as the temperatures dropped when we reached the open bay. We weaved through the islands, pausing at a little one called “The Nubble” to get close to a pair of nesting bald eagles. One is clearly perched in a dead tree spike above the nest, which is three feet deep. Bald eagles mate for life and live up to 25 years, having only one or two eggs a year. There was no shortage of eagles on these islands.
SEA KAYAKING
After the Cory docked, I headed to Seascape Kayaks to wrap up my final day of adventuring in the Bay of Fundy. My guide quickly taught me the basic paddling strokes and how to operate the foot pedals that control the rudder.
Sea kayaking is a sport anyone can learn in a matter of minutes. It is enjoyable because your center of gravity is low, making your boat extremely stable. You feel like a duck, and you can reach out and put your hands right in the water.
Seascape Kayaks offers extended overnight kayak excursions or short jaunts around Navy Island, which is what I did. Navy Island is so named because the Loyalists who settled this area timbered the island and sent the lumber back to England to help build the Royal Navy.
The sky is blue and the sun warm as I paddled back to St. Andrews’ launching ramp. The majestic Algonquin on the hill reflected the lowering sun, offering rest after a fun-packed day.
