Gabi On The Go: August 31 - Hopewell Rocks

Picture taken at around 11:00am.

This shot was taken later, at just past 1pm.

This was 1:45, at the highest tide.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion in The Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site in New Brunswick. They stand 40–70 feet tall.

They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. However, it is possible to view the formations from ground level at low tide.^{[Note 1]}

The formations consist of dark sedimentary conglomerate and sandstone rock. The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

The vast sediment planes in the basin in Fundy supports a variety of biological productivity. Various shorebirds are often seen flocking to nest and feed in the area. Visitors are advised to stay for a full tidal cycle to get a full appreciation of the tides and formations. Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 metres (52 ft) giving the Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.

Signs like this one are common all around the Bay of Fundy to tell people what to expect. The tides times are also published on tourism brochures, restaurant menus and on black boards outside of stores, because they change every day. When here, besides checking the weather, you won't leave your hotel before checking the tides.

Tips for visitors: check when the highest tide is going to be and try to get there two to three hours before it. That gives you time to walk around and explore before the water takes over. Also, try to hang out there till is high tide and see the difference. If you are adventurous (and don't have two little children with you), I suggest to go kayaking - obviously when it is high tide - as well.

Source: Tides of Fundy by the Fundy Guild at Fundy National Park

Tides are the periodic rise and fall of the sea caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the Earth. Fundy’s tides are the highest in the world because of an unusual combination of factors: resonance and the shape of the bay. The water in the Bay of Fundy has a natural resonance or rocking motion called seiche. You could compare this to the movement of water in a bathtub. Although the water in a bathtub sloshes from one end to the other and back again in a few seconds, it takes about 13 hours for the water in the bay to rock from the mouth of the bay to the head of the bay and back again. As the ocean tide rises and floods into the bay every 12 hours and 25 minutes, it reinforces the rocking motion. To imagine this, picture an adult giving a gentle push to a child on a swing. Just a very small push is required to keep the swing moving. Likewise the seiche in the bay is sustained by the natural resonance of the ocean tides. The bay’s shape and bottom topography are secondary factors contributing to Fundy’s high tides. The bay becomes narrower and shallower — from 130 m (426′) to 40 m (131′) — toward the upper bay, forcing the water higher up onto the shores.

Today was a special day around here. We were told that they were expecting the highest tide in a long time, perhaps ever. I tried to confirm that, but I haven't seen any articles about it. Anyway, it was pretty high in the end.

The reasons are because of a 18 years cycle that came to a end, the supermoon, the rise of the ocean level globally, among other reasons. A local and Parks Canada employee said he's never seen the tight this high. They were expecting 46.6 feet high (14.2 meters) in some places.

A rare family shot to wrap up this incredible experience: walking on the ocean floor, just before the water reclaims its space.

While we were waiting the tide to go up we decided to walk around and had a beautiful surprise to find out that the sandpipers birds were around. These tiny little birds fly all the way from the Arctic to South America, running away from the winter (no kidding!).

Between end of July and beginning of September they stop here at the Bay of Fundy to feed and gain energy for their long trip south. Here they eat little shrimps from the mud, double their size and get strong to fly south three days and three nights non-stop.

I could not capture the beauty of the birds flying together with my bad iphone 5 camera.

They are brown on their backs and white on their belly, and when they move all together you get a sensational spectacle in the air.

Interesting CTV story here with video:

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/bird-watchers-in-awe-of-thousands-of-semipalmated-sandpipers-on-n-b-beaches-1.2528009

One of the many covered bridges around.

Since the weather was better and our $16 dollars pass to Cape Enrage was still valid - passes normally last two days - we decided to stop there again to see what the place is like without the heavy fog.