Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy is a big bay.

It sits between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It is also near Maine.

The water moves a lot there. The bay has the biggest tides in the world. This is because of its shape.

Huge amounts of water flow in and out. This is more than all the world's rivers!

You might see a big whale there. The North Atlantic right whale lives in the bay.

Many people live near the water. Saint John is the only big city. It is a busy place with many ships.

The Bay of Fundy is a large bay.

It sits between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. A small part touches Maine in the U.S. It is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

The bay has the highest tides in the world. The water moves in and out twice every day. The bay is shaped like a funnel. This shape makes the tides very strong. About 100 billion tonnes of water flow in and out each cycle. This is twice as much as all the world's rivers combined!

Many animals live in the water.

The North Atlantic right whale lives here. These whales are critically endangered. This means they are at risk of disappearing. You might also see fin whales or humpback whales.

People have lived near the bay for a long time. The Mi'kmaq and Passamaquoddy groups had names for the bay. Saint John is the only major city there.

It is a busy place with many ships. Ferries also carry people across the water.

One ferry is the Grand Manan V.

The Bay of Fundy is a very special place on Earth. It is a large bay located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. A small part of the bay also touches the state of Maine in the U.S. This bay is an arm of the Gulf of Maine and is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is famous because it has the highest tidal range in the entire world. This means the difference between high tide and low tide is much larger here than anywhere else.

These tides happen because of the way the bay is shaped. The bay acts like a giant funnel. Because of this funnel shape, the tides experience something called tidal resonance. This makes the water move with incredible power. In just one half-day cycle, about 100 billion tonnes of water flow in and out. This amount of water is twice the combined flow of all the rivers in the world.

Many rivers that flow into the bay even have tidal bores, which are waves that travel up the river.

The history of this area goes back millions of years. About 220 million years ago, the land was part of a supercontinent called Pangaea. During this time, the area was near the equator and had a warm, tropical climate. As the continents moved and broke apart, they created the Fundy Basin. This process left behind many different types of rocks and fossils.

You can find very old fossils here, including the oldest dinosaur fossil found in Canada at Burntcoat Head.

Many different animals call the bay their home.

The North Atlantic right whale lives here, but it is critically endangered. This means there are very few left in the world. Other large animals like humpback whales and fin whales also swim in these waters. There are also large mudflats where many birds live. These mudflats are special habitats that change as the water moves in and out.

People have lived around the bay for a very long time. The Mi'kmaq and Passamaquoddy groups lived here for centuries. They had their own names for the bay, like Bakudabakek, which means "open way." Later, French settlers arrived and founded places like Port Royal in 1605. Today, Saint John is the only major city on the bay. It is a busy port where many ships and ferries move people and goods.

The Bay of Fundy is a massive body of water located in Atlantic Canada. It sits between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. A small portion of the bay also touches the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine and part of the Atlantic Ocean.

This bay is famous for having the highest tidal range on Earth. This means the difference between high and low tide is much larger here than anywhere else.

This extreme tidal movement happens because of tidal resonance. The bay has a unique, funnel-shaped basin. As the tide enters this shape, the water is pushed into a smaller space. This creates a powerful cycle of rising and falling water. In just one half-day tidal cycle, about 100 billion tonnes of water flow in and out. This volume is twice the combined flow of all the world's rivers.

These tides are semidiurnal, which means they have two high tides and two low tides every day. There are about 6 hours and 13 minutes between each high and low tide. This movement creates special features like tidal bores. A tidal bore is a wave front that travels up a river against its normal flow. The Petitcodiac, Maccan, St. Croix, and Kennetcook rivers all experience this. In 2013, surfers even rode a record-breaking tidal bore on the Petitcodiac River.

The geological history of the bay began about 220 million years ago. During the late Triassic period, all land was part of a supercontinent called Pangaea. The area was near the equator and had a warm, tropical climate. As Pangaea broke apart, rifting events created the Fundy Basin. This process left behind igneous rock formations, such as columnar jointing on Brier and Grand Manan islands. These flows also left behind minerals like amethyst and stilbite. The bay is part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

Because of this long history, the bay is a treasure trove of fossils. Many fossils are found along the shoreline. The oldest dinosaur fossil in Canada was discovered at Burntcoat Head. At Joggins, researchers found very early reptiles inside Carboniferous tree trunks. Wasson Bluff also contains a rich collection of Jurassic fossils. These finds help scientists understand how life changed as the continents moved.

The bay is a vital habitat for many marine species.

The North Atlantic right whale lives here, but it is critically endangered. To help protect them, the Canadian Coast Guard adjusted shipping lanes in 2003. Other marine mammals include humpback whales, fin whales, and minke whales. The bay also features large intertidal mudflats. In the Minas Basin, these mudflats can reach a size of 100 square kilometers. These areas are full of algae, sea lettuce, and phytoplankton.

Humans have a long history with the Bay of Fundy. The Mi'kmaq and Passamaquoddy peoples lived here for centuries. The Mi'kmaq called the bay Bakudabakek, meaning "open way." Later, French settlers arrived and founded Port Royal in 1605.

This was the first permanent European settlement north of Florida. In the 19th century, the bay was a center for shipbuilding. Local shipbuilders produced the fastest ship in the world, the "Terror," and the largest wooden ship built in Canada. Today, Saint John is the only major city on the bay and serves as a large port.