What Bay of Fundy is known for

The Bay of Fundy is located between Novia Scotia and New Brunswick. Both provinces touch the state of Maine and reach out into the North Atlantic Ocean. The bay is ninety-four miles long and thirty-two miles wide at its entrance. The bay reaches a maximum depth of around six hundred fifty feet. The Bay of Fundy is known for its record-breaking, fast-running tides. Reaching an increase of about seventy feet, the bay has the highest tides in the world. The average tidal range in the Bay of Fundy is around fifty-two feet, compared to the average tide of three feet that is found worldwide. Burntcoat Head Park is the site of the highest recorded tides globally, and at low tide, visitors can explore the seabed. Fossils, tidal pools, caves, and unique scenery can be discovered throughout the park. During high tide, the park visitors where visitors were exploring will be covered in over forty feet of water.[1] There are many walking trails, picnic areas, scenic lookouts, and a lighthouse within the park. There is a unique 5k and 10k race held in a village of the Five Islands where individuals can race the tide for a one-of-a-kind racing experience.[10]

 Another way to explore the Bay of Fundy is by rafting the Shubenacadie River. Not only can visitors raft the waters during high tide, but there are many mudslides during low tide where visitors can slip around. The Bay of Fundy Region is also famous for being home to the world's most complete fossil record of life. The area holds some of Canada's oldest fossils, dating almost three hundred million years ago. Kayaking along the Bay of Fundy's coastline can provide a relatively scenic journey along the rocky coastline. During these kayaking trips, visitors will often see a variety of marine life and coastal birds.[2] Whale watching is another of the Bay of Fundy's most popular attractions. The bay is home to many whale species during the summer months, including the right whale. Whale-watching tours take visitors out into the bay's waters multiple times a day. May to September are the best time for viewing the whales in their natural habitat.[3] The city of Saint John is located along the Bay of Fundy and is known for the Reversing Rapids. These rapids occur when the bay tides collide with the Saint John River. The city was founded in 1783, with original buildings still spread throughout the city. The Reversing Falls and Saint John Skywalk are by far the most popular attractions in the city of Saint John. The Skywalk's lookout point gives visitors a view of where the Saint John River meets the Bay of Fundy. The river flows backward at this spot with large whirlpools.[11] 

The city is also filled with historical attractions based on the lifestyle of early settlers. The city is filled with some of Canada's original Victorian architecture. Prince William Street is a National Historic Site filled with original architecture and the St. John's Anglican Church. The church was miraculously not burned in the Great Fire of 1877 and still stands to this day after its original creation in 1825. The New Brunswick Museum is a family-friendly museum showcasing engaging exhibits exploring the province's natural history, art, and culture.[8] The Bay of Fundy Region attracts over one million visitors every year.[2]

Geography

The Bay of Fundy is located halfway between the equator and the North-Pole. It is an inlet off of Canada's East Coast.[1] The bay has a unique coastal environment renowned for its dramatic tides, rocky shores, and deep waterways. The last glacier retreat formed the bay. The area was once a dry rift valley and filled with water slowly after the Ice Age.[2] Rain and ice continue to erode the bay, and daily tidal action wears on the base of cliffs and rock formations, giving them unique shapes and coloring. The bay reaches a depth of two hundred meters and is part of the Continental Shelf off of easter Canada and New England.[1] The Bay of Fundy Region encompasses parts of both Novia Scotia and New Brunswick. Saint John is the largest city in the Bay of Fundy Region located on the New Brunswick shoreline.[8] The region also includes Kejimkujik National Park and St John River. Many fresh and saltwater lakes spread throughout the region, along with forested mountain ranges and grassy prairie flats. Fredericton is the northmost city in the Bay of Fundy Region.[1] The summers in the Bay of Fundy Region are comfortable, while winters are windy and frigid. It is partly cloudy throughout the region year-round. The warm season is four months long, from June to September, with an average temperature of sixty-three degrees Fahrenheit. The warmest time of the year is typically July twenty-seventh. Winter lasts or three months from December to March, the coldest month of the year is January. The average temperature for the cold season is below thirty-five degrees. The area receives an average rainfall of thirty-four inches and over one hundred inches of snow.[3]

The New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy has many mountain animals such as the black bear, Canada lynx, moose, white-tailed deer, red fox, otter, porcupine, and squirrels.[4] Nova Scotia is home to the star-nosed mole, beaver, wolverines, black bears, and squirrels.[5] The cold saltwater in the Bay of Fundy is home to flounder, mackerel, monkfish, hake, shark, eels, and many whale pods travel through the bay at certain times of the year.[1] Common plants throughout the region include the aspen poplar, bearberry, blue bead lily, and sugar maple.[6] Most products coming out of the Bay of Fundy Region are processed wood, potatoes, carrots, and blueberries.[7]

History

A small island off the Bay of Fundy was discovered in 1604 and became the first European settlement in North America. The group of settlers was lead by Sieur de Mons, along with Samuel Champlain. Around eighty more men attempted to settle nearby areas like St. Croux Island but were unsuccessful in the beginning years. The first winter on the island was hard as explorers were cut off from the mainland by ice flows. The bay was given its name by Jacques Cartier, who say it in 1535 before Pierre De Guasta and other french explorers began to settle the area. The name is a corruption of the French word Fendu, meaning split.[1] Notably, Fredericton "was first inhabited by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people." European settlers began to construct Fort Nashwaak in 1692. By 1783, the city was fully established.[9]

Fredericton was named after King George III's brother, Prince Frederick.[9] In 1785 Saint John, New Brunswick, was incorporated as a city. After the discovery of the Bay of Fundy, a French cartographer Samuel De Champlain sighted the large river on St. John The Baptist's Day and named the land and river after the day. Soon those living on the bay took it upon themselves to begin building a city along the river and shoreline. The city is the largest in New Brunswick today.[8]