“The current flows up the river with such speed that, as the tide begins, it builds up a volume of water two or three feet thick that a galloping horse can’t keep up with. The current is just as fast at rising and at falling tides.” – (French Officer) De Lery in 1750
The Bay of Fundy’s famously powerful tides have long fascinated locals and visitors alike. While we often think of rivers as being one-directional, the Fundy tides push more than 100 billion tons of water in and out of the bay leading to the Petitcodiac’s unique intertidal environment. Twice a day the tides swell pushing water up the river towards Moncton and, at least before installation of the causeway and now after its removal, as far as Salisbury creating a single rolling wave known as a “tidal bore.” According to Mi’kmaq legend, the bore represents the daily retelling of a great battle between Lobster and a monstrous eel over the fate of the Petitcodiac River. This intertidal environment harbors unique communities of flora and fauna important for maintaining the stability of these ecosystems.
A tidal bore is a unique phenomenon only observable in a handful of locations across the world; before the construction of the causeway which temporarily stifled water passage, the Petitcodiac boasted one of the biggest bores in the world. While today the bore can reach roughly 75 cm, it once reached as high as 2m and moved as quickly as 13 km/hr. The bore was effectively halted within much of the river by the Moncton causeway until 2010 when the causeway gates were opened partially restoring some water flow. Today, the causeway is all but gone and both the river and the bore continue to heal. In the meantime, people continue to flock to the region to observe this wonderfully unique phenomenon. In 2013, a pair of Californian surfers even made history by riding the tidal bore for over 29 km destroying the previous North American record of 8km (set in Alaska).
Whether you are a local or a visitor, the tidal bore is well worth your time. The tide schedule can be found here. These times are estimates so it is important to arrive early so as to not miss it. After the bore has passed, why not stop in to the Starving Artist Gallery and Gifts, one of many local businesses lining the river. Here you can find a cafe as well as a plethora of local artisan wares including pottery, paintings, and more. As Moncton locals may remember, for many years the PWA had an iconic sculpture of a Wood Turtle made out of litter installed at the gallery to raise awareness of the dangers of microplastics. In 2022, this installation was removed due to its deterioration over time, however we would love to work on similar art installations to raise awareness of our watershed’s beauty and challenges in the future – do you have an idea for collaboration? Contact us!
Enter our giveaway by posting a photo of the tidal bore or at Bore Park in Moncton 46.09019433758762, -64.77097356044447. You can also post from any of our other 24 sites (LINK**
“The current flows up the river with such speed that, as the tide begins, it builds up a volume of water two or three feet thick that a galloping horse can’t keep up with. The current is just as fast at rising and at falling tides.” – (French Officer) De Lery in 1750
The Bay of Fundy’s famously powerful tides have long fascinated locals and visitors alike. While we often think of rivers as being one-directional, the Fundy tides push more than 100 billion tons of water in and out of the bay leading to the Petitcodiac’s unique intertidal environment. Twice a day the tides swell pushing water up the river towards Moncton and, at least before installation of the causeway and now after its removal, as far as Salisbury creating a single rolling wave known as a “tidal bore.” According to Mi’kmaq legend, the bore represents the daily retelling of a great battle between Lobster and a monstrous eel over the fate of the Petitcodiac River. This intertidal environment harbors unique communities of flora and fauna important for maintaining the stability of these ecosystems.
A tidal bore is a unique phenomenon only observable in a handful of locations across the world; before the construction of the causeway which temporarily stifled water passage, the Petitcodiac boasted one of the biggest bores in the world. While today the bore can reach roughly 75 cm, it once reached as high as 2m and moved as quickly as 13 km/hr. The bore was effectively halted within much of the river by the Moncton causeway until 2010 when the causeway gates were opened partially restoring some water flow. Today, the causeway is all but gone and both the river and the bore continue to heal. In the meantime, people continue to flock to the region to observe this wonderfully unique phenomenon. In 2013, a pair of Californian surfers even made history by riding the tidal bore for over 29 km destroying the previous North American record of 8km (set in Alaska).
Whether you are a local or a visitor, the tidal bore is well worth your time. The tide schedule can be found here. These times are estimates so it is important to arrive early so as to not miss it. After the bore has passed, why not stop in to the Starving Artist Gallery and Gifts, one of many local businesses lining the river. Here you can find a cafe as well as a plethora of local artisan wares including pottery, paintings, and more. As Moncton locals may remember, for many years the PWA had an iconic sculpture of a Wood Turtle made out of litter installed at the gallery to raise awareness of the dangers of microplastics. In 2022, this installation was removed due to its deterioration over time, however we would love to work on similar art installations to raise awareness of our watershed’s beauty and challenges in the future – do you have an idea for collaboration? Contact us!
Enter our giveaway by posting a photo of the tidal bore or at Bore Park in Moncton 46.09019433758762, -64.77097356044447. You can also post from any of our other 24 sites (LINK**)