What is a tidal bore?
A tidal bore is a natural phenomenon which is seen in very few parts of the world. The Bay of Fundy is particularly noted for its extremely high tides, the highest in the world, and for its tidal bores. As is generally known, the rise and fall of ocean tides is caused by the gravitational “pull” of the moon on the earth’s watery blanket. At most places along the ocean shores, high tides occur regulary every 12 hours, 25 minutes. In the open ocean the tide only rises and falls a fraction of a meter. However, in most V-shaped bays and inlets the tide enters the broad end and the water literally “piles up” as it moves up the bay. In certain areas, such as the Bay of Fundy, the natrual period of oscillation is very close to the tidal period and, just like water sloshing back and forth in a bowl, the rise and fall of the tide is greatly amplified. Thus, the tide water enters the bay at its widest point, and as it passes along towards the head of the bay, it is in effect squeezed by the ever
A tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or against the direction of the current. Bores occur in relatively few locations worldwide, usually in areas with a large tidal range such as the Bay of Fundy, and where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing river via a broad bay. The funnel-like shape not only increases the height of the tide, but it can also decrease the duration of the flood tide down to a point where the flood appears as a sudden increase in the water level. The word bore derives through Old English from the Old Norse word bara, meaning a wave or swell. In the Bay of Fundy region there are several excellent places both to watch a tidal bore from the shore or to ride its waves with an adventure tour company!
