Is the Tide a Bore?

This is a little ancillary post to the Hopewell Rocks one. Moncton is situated on a tidal river, fed from the Bay of Fundy, where those great tide changes happen.

Once the tidal bore has passed, but the river is still filling up quickly!

Little did we know that twice a day the river gets flooded with ocean water that creates this thing called a tidal bore. For those not familiar with this, it's a single wave that is created by the pure volume of sea water coming through a narrow opening in the river.

The tidal bore that enters up the Petitcodiac River is strong enough for the brave to surf, which is pretty impressive. Where can you see this spectacle? From Tidal Bore park...simple and to the point, East Coast practicality, especially in naming things, is a beautiful thing. Pro tip: head down past the first couple viewing stations towards Dieppe to get the first view and to double down on the fun, stand on the pedestrian bridge and see the tidal bore and the feeder river fill up at the same time.

The things that surprised me the most was the sound, almost like a slow grinder milling up the coast line. I saw the bore before I heard it, but the sound was definitely unique and louder than one would anticipate.

Add this to your list of things to do in Moncton while here. There's an excellent schedule available at https://tidalboretimes.ca/ . The best times (so we've been advised) to see the bore is on the new moon, closely followed by the full moon. If you can hit it during a super moon, then all the better.

Highs and Lows of Hopewell Rocks

Even the very best of Canadians don't know all the amazing sights that our huge country has to offer. I knew about the amazing tidal flows in the Bay of Fundy from about the age of 11 or so, but never truly appreciated the enormity of a waterline that can rise up to 16 metres (that's 50 feet for you United States-ers) in a matter of hours. You can walk on the ocean floor, where in a few hours, people will be kayaking well above your head.

For more information, visit the Hopewell Rocks website, or just enjoy our pictures. We were there in the heart of tourist season and there were a lot (!!!) of people. Waiting to get the right shot was occasionally painful, as the social media generation has taken over and the "perfect photo" requires many...many...many attempts. One guy went back 11 times in a 20 minute period. In truly Canadian fashion, there was a line to get a photo in an opening and he went back over and over again, to the point that most of the people on the viewing platform were having a good laugh at his expense. I guess he had his reasons.

Once the tide started to come in, we headed up to watch the spectacle. It didn't seem like the water was coming in quickly, but all of a sudden the beach we'd walked on in the distance disappeared and then the midrange beach was under water and a half hour later the whole thing was underwater. The tide rose 12 metres (@40 feet) in under 2 hours. Wow!

The whole family had a good time, but I have to give credit where credit is due...Ron took almost every picture and is responsible for the amazing photos. If you're in the area, it's a great place to visit. Families get in for $25.50, and adults are $10. The entry is good for two days, which is pretty sweet, if you're staying in the area. Parking is free.