Bay of Fundy: Where giants rise and legends flow
The Bay of Fundy’s legendary Flowerpot Rocks
The Bay of Fundy, situated between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is famous for having the highest tides in the world, reaching heights of 16 meters. Twice daily, 160 billion tonnes of water flow in and out, rapidly changing the coastal scenery. The volume of water during one tide is equivalent to the total volume of all freshwater rivers in the world and could fill the Grand Canyon twice. The tides are in constant motion, giving the water a chocolate brown colour because sediment from the ocean floor never has a chance to settle.
Building on this ever-shifting tidal drama, Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, is where these massive tides have patiently sculpted their masterpiece for thousands of years. At low tide, over twenty free-standing sea stacks rise along two kilometres of shoreline where it looks like islands are perched atop sticks made of rock. It’s a natural wonder. And just like that, the ocean floor recedes, and the bay fills, turning the sea stacks into islands.
(The Weather Network)
The Bay of Fundy's unique features have inspired countless myths and legends, inspired by its massive tides. One legend is about Glooscap, a deity who lived among the Mi'kmaq in human form. He wanted to take a bath, but there was no water in the bay. So, he asked a beaver for help. The beaver dug a trench to catch the ocean’s water, and when the deity sat down, a whale stuck its head into the Bay’s entrance. Glooscap stood up, and the whale swam away, causing the high tides that flow in and out of the bay every day. Robert Ripley, the cartoonist and founder of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, didn’t believe this legend, but the tides and Hopewell Rocks did attract him to New Brunswick.
Drawing on the area's mythical and natural appeal, Ripley played a significant part in popularizing the sea stacks. Around 1936, during his visit to the Bay of Fundy, Ripley named the unique, top-heavy sea stacks the "World's Largest Flowerpots" because of the trees and vegetation growing atop the eroded sandstone structures. He featured these formations in his famous syndicated cartoon column, bringing international focus on this natural wonder.
Believe it or not, seeing the structures from the shore is exciting, and walking among them when the tide is out is also a thrill. However, when Glooscap stands and the tide comes in, being on the water is the best way to experience the formations up close and personal. For this reason, at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, Baymount Outdoor Adventures Inc. runs kayaking tours in the Bay of Fundy UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
(The Weather Network)
Baymount’s Kayak The Rocks Tour, owned by Shaun and Ashley Gibbs, was added to the Canadian Tourism Commission's "Signature Experience Collection" in 2012. This unique, guided sea-kayaking tour offers visitors the chance to feel the Bay of Fundy’s beautiful giant tides as you paddle near the spectacular "Flowerpot" sea stacks of Hopewell Cape. Kayaking among these iconic landmarks in the Bay of Fundy is the quintessential way to experience this wonder of nature firsthand.
CLICK HERE to return to the Experiencing Canada main page for more videos and articles.