Visit Hall's Harbour to experience the natural wonder of the highest tides!
Here at Hall’s Harbour we are lucky enough to be situated right in the Bay of Fundy. The bay has provided us with ports for shipping and lot’s of fishing, but our most famous aspect of the Bay of Fundy is our record breaking tides!
What are tides? Tides are the rise and fall of the sea levels by the gravitational forces spent by the sun, moon, and Earth’s rotation. Tides are semidiurnal, meaning they have two highs and two lows each day. The position of the sun and moon have a great impact on tides. Large tidal ranges occur when the gravitational pull of the moon and sun are aligned, reinforcing each other in the same direction or the opposite direction. These large tidal ranges are called spring tides. Small tidal ranges, named neap tides, occur when the gravitational pull of the sun and moon make a right angle to Earth’s orbit. The exact range of tides depends greatly on the geographic location and the volume of water next to the coast.
The Bay of Fundy is a funnel shaped bay situated between the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with a small part touching the U.S state of Maine. Our town of Hall’s Harbour is nestled right next to the Bay. The Bay of Fundy has record breaking tides, and we’re proud to say we have the highest tides in the world with an average of 16 metres or 52 feet. The highest tides ever recorded in the Bay of Fundy happened in October in 1869. The tides reached up to heights of 21.6 metres or 71 feet!
Storms can have a huge impact on the size of tides. Our highest reaching tide mentioned before occurred because of the Saxby Gale, a tropical cyclone, that breached dykes protecting low-lying farmland and causing ocean waters to gush far inland. The shape of the Bay of Fundy being narrow along with a unique resonance is what makes for such massive tides.
We are very lucky to live next to such an amazing phenomena as the tides at the Bay of Fundy. We encourage visitors to stay at Hall’s Harbour, visit the Hall's Harbour Lobster Pound & Restaurant and Parker’s General Store all while you witness our shocking tides. Our little coastal community is extremely welcoming and we’re sure you’ll enjoy the highest tides in the world!
