How to 'see' the tides - 1 way

Speaking of questions from folks, this is probably the question Bay of Fundy-ites get asked the most: "Where can I go to 'see' the tides?". The answer to this question is more complicated than you may think. Over the next few days I will give you my best four answers to this single question.

1) Tidal Bore - even if you've never been here before, you'll probably have some pre-awarenss of the phenomenon known as the tidal bore: outflowing rivers flowing back upstream as the tide comes in. Folks who have never been to Fundy before tend to take our 50 foot tide measurement and combine it with the bore concept - then end up thinking that we have a 50 foot (think: tsunami!!) bore twice a day, which we do not. The actual rapids of a tidal bore range between about 10 to 12 feet which is still pretty cool.

Many rivers in the upper part of the Bay have tidal bores but, unless you're a local, you may have trouble finding them. Visitors usually like to visit those with some interpretation. Most of these are on the Nova Scotia side of the bay. I'd suggest:
1) the Maccan River about 10 minutes from Amherst where there are interpretive panels,
2) the tidal bore in Truro just out by the Palliser restaurant
2)the South Maitland Tidal Bore Lookoff where there is an interpretation centre and some panels.

Note that the bore time does not match either the high or low tide times listed on the tide chart for that community. The bore time varies depending on where you're perched to view it from the riverbank.

Personally, I think the best way to experience this tidal change is to go white water rafting in it...it's interesting to watch from the shore but it is hugely fun to raft in. If this is your kinda thing there are two companies I can recommend - I've gone with both: Shubenacadie River Runners and Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting Park. They are located in the village of Maitland about 40 min from Hfx airport in the opposite direction from Halifax. so that'a about 1.5 hr from Halifax.

How to read the Bay of Fundy tide chart

I had an email from someone in Texas this week. They were looking for some tips on how to read a tide chart. This is, in fact, a bit tricky so I'm happy to explain:

1. Best source of tide times (in my opinion) - The Canadian Hydrographic Service, Dept Fisheries, You can zoom in on a map for any geographic area in Canada.

2. Then you can choose a community & the dates you want to visit from the menu bar.
A chart like this will pop up. This chart (for Parrsboro) is saying that low tide today is at 5:16 am and then again at 17:30 (5:30 pm). High tide will be at 11:26 (it will be a 33.8 ft tide), then high tide will be back at 23:44 (11:44 pm) - a 36.7 foot tide.

2007-07-27 (Friday)
Time	Height
ADT	(m)	(ft)
05:16	2.	9.2
11:26	10.3	33.8
17:30	3.1	10.2
23:44	11.2	36.7

A Bay of Fundy Plein Air Paintout

Just heard of an interesting event happening around the outer edge of the Bay of Fundy this week: a Plein Air Paintout! Twelve artists from the Bay of Fundy region are participating in this 'first annual' event. Painting is happening in situ in Lubec, Maine, and on Campobello Island, NB, among other lovely Fundy coastal spots. Art created from the paintout will be exhibited at historic Mulholland Market in Lubec until August 25.

This is one of participant & instructor Micheal Chelsey Johnson's pieces that was created during the paintout this week. Here's how Michael describes the scene:

The tide went out while we worked, and the clamdiggers showed up with their big wheelbarrows and high boots to work in the mudflat. (I did not include the clamdiggers in my piece.)

Check out other Fundy Plein Air artists in the Art section of my blog.

Conquering Red Rocks!

A glorious day today on the Bay of Fundy! We had company this weekend and did what any Fundy-ite does: took 'em to the beach. We had fun at "Red Rocks" just inside the entrance to Cape Chignecto Provincial Park in Advocate Harbour, NS: clambering up and over these smooth but abrupt rock formations.

If you want to be assured of taking photos that always look 100% perfect, there is no better subject than the contrast between sandstone boulders and blue sky. This is a photo of me "conquering" one of the higher ones - Terri on top of the world!!

Introducing the mudflats

Last, but not least among the five types of Bay of Fundy beaches, allow me to present the often under-appreciated mud flat. Personally I think there is nothing better than Fundy's red/brown mud sklooshing up to swallow my running shoe or, even better, slicing between barefoot toes. Em, don't look took closely at the mud though - there are microscopic shrimp in there, a critical food source for our migratory shorebirds!

Introducing the pebble beach

Fourth in my series of beachscapes around the Bay of Fundy is the pebble beach. Here the rocks are about the size of almonds and peas; far smaller than the cobble beach. Pebble beaches combine with sand to make for easy walking along the ocean floor at low tide. Sometimes, like here at Second Beach, pebbles can 'transform' into mudflats - your best running shoes are not always the best choice for foot attire here!

Introducing the sand bar beach

Bay of Fundy tidal turbulance often whips the lighter bits of the ocean floor into sand dunes or sandbars. At low tide these are great fun to explore but they're also an easy way to get marooned by the incoming tide. Sandbars like this one at Second Beach can quicky become an islands and, as the tides continue to rise, soon covered with 30 to 40 feet. It's always best to know accurate high/low tide times and be 360 degrees aware when you explore the Bay's many beaches.

Introducing the reef beach

The formal definition of a reef is a ridge of rock just below the surface of the water. Reefs around the coast of the Bay of Fundy are below the surface at high tide then fully exposed at low tide. This is a basalt reef at Second Beach. The exposed edge of basalt (a normally angular volanic rock) is slightly smoothed by the daily tides and becomes welcome habitat for various Fundy seaweeds, perwinkles and other small creatures.

Introducing the cobble beach

Here around the Bay of Fundy there are about a half dozen types of beaches. Many beaches, particularly at low tide, have a combination of beach terrains including: cobble beach, sandy or sand barred beach, reefed beach, pebble beach and mud flats.

I think I'll run a 5-day series of photos I took last weekend at one beach: Second Beach in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. All five types of beach terrain appear within a 100 metres along this one beach!

Today's photo shows a cobble beach. From a geological point of view cobbles are round and oval rocks measuring between 3 and 10 inches in diameter. Most folks would be familiar with ocean or river cobble stones being used to make sidewalks or hearths.

Don't let cobbles deter you from exploring the beach. They are a bit tricky to walk on but often you'll need to traverse a band of cobbles to get further on to the ocean floor so it's well worth it!

More funds for Bay of Fundy tidal energy

Just heard today that a Bay of Fundy tidal power pilot project proposed by Nova Scotia Power and its Irish partner Open Hydro has received a $4-million shot in the arm from Sustainable Development Technology Canada.

The project cost to install an in-stream turbine on the bottom of the Bay of Fundy is expected to be $12-million.

This project will involve comprehensive environmental and oceanographic monitoring of a turbine placed in some of the strongest-known tidal currents in the world. (see map for places in the world that Open Hydro has identified as having the best tidal power potential - I marked in the Bay of Fundy).

The first Fundy turbine would produce one megawatt of electricity, enough to power 300 households. The project must still receive provincial environmental approval. The partners hope to have it operating by 2009 and test its operation in the following two years.

I'm continuing to follow this quite closely from my front row seat here on the Bay of Fundy, near the proposed tidal energy staging area - see sidebar for previous posts about tidal energy.

Bay of Fundy birth annoucement (of whales, that is)

The Bay of Fundy has become a bit of a nursery lately with the arrival of ten humpback mothers with their calves. Humpback whale calves are born in the Caribbean after a 12 month gestation. They drink about 50 gallons of milk from their mother, gaining several hundred pounds per week. They stay with their moms for about a year after they have been weaned at the Northern feeding grounds. Visit Brier Island Whales & Seabird Cruises blog to find out more.

This is a photo Foggy's tail fluke. Foggy had her first calf, Sparkler, in 2000 and her second, Motley, in 2003. Her 2007 calf will not be named until it makes its return to the Gulf of Maine after it leaves its mother.

"Not Since Moses" run across the ocean floor

Just when I thought I'd heard everything along comes a new, wildly zany yet oddly spiritual event: the first annual Not Since Moses run across the Bay of Fundy's ocean floor.

Happening this Saturday, July 7, in Five Islands, Nova Scotia, the aptly named Not Since Moses is reminiscent of Moses' biblical parting of the Red Sea. For awhile at low tide the ocean floor linking the islands to the coastal village is fully exposed (see photo). This, with proper planning and guidance by a local, is enabling a fully organized 10 k run and a 5 k walk. Yikes - don't ever try this on your own!!

Owner of one of the islands, Dick Lemon, is the originator and organizer of the event. Lemon, from California, purchased Long Island in 2003 to build Five Islands Retreat, a “restorative place for writers, musicians, artists and other interesting people.”

I chatted with Dick this week about the run. He's convinced the Not Since Moses will become a world famous running event and, after hearing more about it, so am I!

Where the wild peas grow

Where else would you expect to find copious amounts of wild peas but beachside around the Bay of Fundy? Took this photo of pea blossoms this afternoon. I've heard that our first nations, the Mi'kmaq, used both the peas and blossoms for medicinal purposes.

Historic John Lusby Marsh

Whoa, I knew I'd really caught the photography bug when I snapped this photo out of my car window while driving this week. This is a cheery, somewhat unsung spot on the Bay of Fundy: the John Lusby Marsh located on the Cumberland Basin just west of Amherst, Nova Scotia.

This marsh has the distinction of being the largest continuous tract of salt marsh remaining in the upper Bay of Fundy. The 1020-acre marsh was diked by Acadian settlers about 300 years ago. Much of the marsh is still farmed although some has returned to salt marsh conditions due to erosion of the historic dikes. Lusby Marsh is a National Wildlife Area under the Wildlife Area Regulations of the Canada Wildlife Act.

The wildlife area consists of John Lusby Salt Marsh and Amherst Point Migratory Bird Sanctuary, two very different wetlands, and separated by a narrow, 1 km-wide upland ridge. I was driving on road across this ridge when I snapped this photo.

Rafting the tidal bore

A list of cool things to do around the Bay of Fundy would be incomplete without mention of another of our zany water sports: rafting the incoming tidal bore. This is sort of the same idea as jet boating Reversing Falls mentioned in a previous post. The incoming Fundy tide creates a roller coaster of turbulance when it meets the flow of outgoing rivers. There are many tidal bores on rivers of all sizes around the Bay but the Shubenacadie River, near Maitland, Nova Scotia offers the full rafting deal. Zodiacs are the boat of choice; quickdry fabrics the garb of choice (well actually, float suits are superb in May and October). This experience involves weaving in and out of the tidal rapids for a 2-hr or 4-hr adventure.

I've gone tidal bore rafting with two excellent companies: Shubenacadie River Runners and Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Park. They've both got great facilities and energetic, qualified staff to lead the rafting experience. It's a blast!

Walking the Saint John waterfront

One of the other great activities to do in Saint John is to explore the newly reclaimed "Harbour Passage" waterfront trail system. It's a beautifully crafted set of walking/cycling trails all along the harbour's edge. The trail also includes lookoffs, interpretive panels, benches and great places to stop to read the paper, watch the tide come in, or the fog lift. I took these snaps early this morning while I was one of a few walkers out enjoying the views!

Beach volleyball anyone?

This has to be right up there on my list of cool stuff to do around the Bay of Fundy: playing beach volleyball on the waterfront in Saint John. Someone with a great eye for opportunity carved out a half dozen beach volleyball courts in the historic heart of the city across from a bunch of restaurants & pubs with boardwalk patios. I caught some players 'in action' when I walked around the SJ waterfront at dusk.

View from the upper deck

I snapped this pretty pic as we left the Digby (NS) harbour heading for Saint John (NB) aboard the Princess of Acadia ferry. This is a grand 3-hr trip (think: mini-cruise) across the Bay of Fundy. Maybe its because my ancestors were shipbuilders here in the Bay but, to me, no vacation is complete without some contact with water!

As I mentioned in a March post, this ferry is getting a refurb. New passenger comforts, high-speed internet, Starbucks, Bay of Fundy intepretive program, etc. Folks who live around the Bay are excited about this makeover. The changes are being unveiled tonight during a special evening cruise from Saint John and on Saturday with an open house event in Digby. I'll be taking in the festivities tonight - whooo hooo!

Many forms of dulse

I'm working in Saint John, New Brunswick, this week and noticed that one of the vendors at the City Market had a great variety of dulse and dulse flakes (teensy dried up bits of dulse in a shaker). I even discovered a new product: dules flakes with garlic. A bit further down into the market were the more traditional paper bags of loose dulse for sale. Delish!

Got dulse?

Previous blog readers will know I'm crazy about dulse - our edible Bay of Fundy seaweed treat. It's dulsing time now at various locations around the Bay . Dulse harvesters are venturing out in their small open boats at 4 and 5 a.m. these days, depending on the tides, to pull in loads of the tasty seaweed.

Dulse can be taken from the same rocky bed every two weeks — it grows that fast — and is one of the few remaining sea products whose harvest is not regulated by government.

Wanda VanTassel of Gullivers Cove on Digby Neck is up to her elbows in the purple seaweed every day.

She owns Fundy Dulse, a company that harvests, packs and sells dulse and stuff made from dulse, like dulse flakes and even dulse soap. Wet dulse loses about 50 per cent of its weight while drying.

Dulse, which is rich in iodine and minerals, contains some protein and has been used for everything from folk remedy to snack food. After the dulse is harvested, it is cleaned of things like shells and sticks and delivered to the drying grounds where it is spread out. On a good day, it can be picked up for packaging after four or five hours in the sun.

Click here for my previous posts on dulse.

Meet another Bay of Fundy artist

The Bay of Fundy certainly seems to encourage creativity among its residents. I recently met a Bay of Fundy fibre artist in the blogsphere: June Cable. June recently opened a new studio gallery in Pennfield on the New Brunswick side of the bay: Wizard of Felt.

Here's a photo of her marvelous work: a wall hanging of lily pads at Canal. Canal, a crossroads-sized commuity, just outsdie St George is one of only two natural canals in the world, the other is somewhere in China. Our Canal flows between Lake Utopia and the Magaguadavic River (which, of course, flow into the Bay of Fundy at St George).

I love it....a geography lesson thru art!

Two provinces fund tidal power study

It's been a few months since I've had anything to report on the potential of tidal power development in the Bay of Fundy. Interesting news this week, though: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have just announced that they are jointly funding a study that will bring marine renewable power generation one step closer to reality.

The two provincial governments will each invest $75,000 in a strategic environmental assessment of tidal power in the Bay of Fundy. The assessment will include a comprehensive consultation process with organizations and groups with an interest in the future of tidal power in the region as well as a socio-economic impact assessment report.

The Offshore Energy and Environmental Research Association, a group of Nova Scotia universities established and funded by the provincial government to study the sector, will be responsible for carrying out the request for proposal process.

When the final report is back in the governments' hands next year, the energy ministers will have a better idea of the background of the competing tidal technologies on the market and the potential impact on the environment. And that information will serve as a starting point for the public engagement process to solicit concerns from groups such as fishermen, the shipping industry and the tourism sector.

That's a great step forward for what could possibly be the greenest form of energy on the planet.
(photo: NASA image from space of Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, high-low tide - one of the possible tidal energy sites),

Prince Henry was here...or was he?

Bay of Fundy legend has it that, in 1398, Prince Henry Sinclair, Earl of the Orkney Islands (Scotland) became the first European to visit the 'new world'. This is about a hundred years before other, more famous explorers: John Cabot in 1494 and Christopher Columbus in 1492/98. The owner of the little cottage at Partridge Island had a bit of fun crafting a cairn to Prince Henry, equipt with a celtic cross and all!

A wee faerie cottage on the Bay

There is a curious little cottage bordering the salt marsh on the Partridge Island beach (near Parrsboro). This wee cottage, about 10 ft x 10 ft, sits up brightly behind a homemade dyke designed to keep the higher tides away. Creative design, local stones and wildflowers make a faerie-like oasis here at the edge of the Bay of Fundy. I thought this made a fine addition to my new 'architecture' blog category...more to follow over the coming weeks and months.

Feedback for CBC

It appears that the people continue to speak with regard to the puzzling CBC 7 Wonders results: click here to read Canadian comments on the CBC blog. I'm clearly not alone in my support of the Bay of Fundy!

Not so wonder-ful Bay of Fundy?

Ewwww, a panel of judges has conferred and despite the Bay of Fundy placing third among Canadians in popular vote, oddly we didn't actually made the final list of Canada's 7 Wonders. Admittedly, quite a few really great places & things received the honour: Pier 21 in Halifax, Niagara Falls, The Rockies, Old Quebec, Prairie skies, the igloo, and the canoe.

So, in celebration of this CBC contest (which really did succeed in raising awareness of so many great places in our country), I'm posting the following compromise: a historic photo of a Mik'maq canoe traversing the Bay of Fundy. So there!

Celebrating Environment Week Fundy-style

Here is an interesting way to celebrate Nova Scotia's annual environment week: buy the most environmentally friendly outboard engines available! Well, that really is a good choice for a whale watch tour operator. Tom Goodwin of Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises in Tiverton, NS, is starting his 2007 season with brand new Honda four stroke outboards (ultra low emission)! The company regularly "refreshes" the outboards for both dependability and reduced impact on the environment.

Biologist Tom's Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises business is one of the most environmentally friendly with whom I've ever come in contact. Tom owns the original hybrid car (2000 Honda Insight), buys wind energy, the business has solar heating, and donates alot of money to environmental and conservation groups (well before 'green became keen' in the past few months).

P.S. That's humpback whale flipping up its pectoral fin beside Tom's zodiac!!

Weir fishing video

While at the fish weir on the weekend I also caught some video. Take a look at this video of the guys in action:

Bay of Fundy weir fishing FAQs

I chatted for awhile with owner, Alan, as he watched his guys scoop up the catch. Although this weir is probably one of the Bay of Fundy's best kept secrets, Alan notes that tourists often happen upon it then ask an interesting slew of questions. Here are the weir FAQs with answers:

1. What types of fish are caught in the weir?
Herring first (May, early June) then Mackeral and Shad

2. Does the weir operate yearround?
No, the fish run in the spring and early summer. The weir is not fished in the warmer weeks of summer (later July and August). Before winter, the nets are completely removed to avoid damage by ice cakes. The nets are re-strung in April.

3. Do you need a license to have a weir?
Yes, Alan has a Dept of Fisheries license just like any other commercial fisherman. This insures that no other weir is set in close proximity. Alan has carried the license in this location for about 20 years but a weir in this location dates back to about 1880. There are a couple other small weirs about 15 miles away in Five Islands but no others anywhere nearby.

4. How much time do you have to get the fish out before the tide comes back in?
This varies with every tide (the highest tide times of the month are also the lowest tides) but generally the boys are in the weir with their hip waders about an hour before low tide and an hour after it.

5. After all the fish have been scooped why is the floor of the weir swept free of fish scales, etc.
Over the years Alan has noted that if he does not "clean the barn" with each tide then he does not catch any fish on the next tide. It's almost as if there is a bad vibe for the fish with a mess around.

6. Do you ever catch anything else in the weir ? Occasionally a few other types of fish are caught, like cod, but this weir has been purposely designed to follow the natural instincts of herring and mackeral. As the tide rises they swim across the shoreline until they are guided by the weir's nets into its figure-8 section. Herring and mackeral naturally swim in a figure-8 pattern so they are content to swim around in the weir without venturing back out the wide opening. Sea mammals such as seals or porpoises would figure out how to leave 'by the main entrance' and are therefore not caught. If they were, the weir is equipt with a handy trap door at its base on the water side that would enable their safe release.

Netting the catch

As luck would have it, I timed my dog walk to the beach perfectly today to watch the weirmen netting their substantial haul from the weir. Once the fish are drawn in by the weir they are gathered by hand net, boxed and shipped immediately as much-desired bait for lobster traps.

Here's a closer photo of one of the weirmen scooping the herring and dropping them into the crates. As usual, the guys mused at my perennial fascination with this historic tradition yet kindly insured that I had a couple fresh herring in a grocery bag to take home for breakfast.

Bay of Fundy fish weir at low tide

Further to last week's road to nowhere photos showing the mysterious route to our local fish weir at high tide, here is the same set of photos at low tide. There has been a weir in this location since the late 1800s. Fundy's strong tides and winter ice cakes mean it has to be rebuilt each spring. After several weeks of weir repairs this spring it is now back in full swing and the catchs are great.

Bay of Fundy - NASA image of the day from space!

Here's an up-to-date satellite image of the Bay of Fundy from space: taken just two days ago. You can practically see the grass growing! Every day NASA selects a favourite satellite image to post on their website; it was the lovely springtime Bay of Fundy this week.

We're all getting quite used to seeing satellite images (especially since the invention of Google Earth). However, NASA (through the MODIS program) was probably the first to get such photos out into general cirulation in the early days of the internet.

MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, while Aqua passes south to north over the equator in the afternoon. This means that Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS are viewing the entire Earth's surface every 1 to 2 days acquiring data.

MODIS plays a vital role in the development of global, interactive Earth system models able to predict global change accurately enough to assist policy makers with making sound decisions regarding the protection of our environment.

Mussels with Ginger-Pesto

Ginger-Pesto Mussels

Further to my series of mussel recipes, here's one that includes two of my other favourite foods: pesto and ginger.

INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 lbs mussels
4 oz dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 thick slices blackforest ham (optional), chopped in small chunks
3 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp pesto
2 Tbsp grated ginger root

Scrub the beards off the mussels. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes, drain, repeat. Discard any open or damaged mussels. Place in a large saucepan with the wine and garlic. Cover and cook at high heat for three minutes or until the mussels open. Shake pan occasionally. Remove mussesl from pan, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the top shell from each mussel and arrange the mussels on the half shell in a shallow dish or baking sheet. Strain the mussel liquid through cheesecloth. Combine the ham, breadcrumbs, pesto and ginger and stir in 1 to 2 Tbsp of the mussel liquid to moisten.

Preheat grill to high. Spoon a littel crumb mixture on to each mussel then cook under the gril for 2 minutes or until golden & bubbling. Serves 4.

This receipe is a fun twist on an old favourite! For more of my favourite recipes, visit the recipes section of my blog.

Road to nowhere?

The Bay of Fundy tides can produce some interesting sights: take this one for example...A naive observer may wonder why this beach road clearly leads into the Bay. This is the road to the fish weir (see other photo) which enables low tide truck access across about a half mile of intertidal zone. As the tide recedes the weirmen drive over to fetch their herring and mackeral. Their acute awareness tide times ensures that they are off the beach before the tide comes back in to make a mystery of their access road. If their truck stalled down at the weir it would be covered with about 35 feet of water at high tide!

I took this photo at Partridge Island, only about 3 km from Parrsboro. I'll get back down to the beach when the tides are right to get a photo of the weir at low tide. It's pretty cool!

Bay of Fundy winery wins big!

It sometimes surprises visitors that we have so many wineries in the Bay of Fundy region on the east coast of Canada. The climate here is perfectly suited to the successful development of both grape and fruit wines, as evidenced by this week's big win at the All Canadian Wine Championship. Domaine de Grand Pre and their winemaker Jurg Stutz received three gold and one bronze medals.

The All Canadian Wine Championships (ACWC), the oldest and largest competition solely for Canadian wineries. Over 40 industry professionals critiqued a record 932 entries from 132 wineries representing all wine regions from coast to coast.

Great recognition for our emerging wine region!

Pretty little fishy!

Here's one last photo of Scott Leslie's plus a link to his website!

This little fellow is an eel pout whose photo was taken off the coast of Brier Island. Also known as ocean pouts, these fish live in a range of temperatures that includes sub-zero. They get their name from the pouting appearance of their lower lip.

This, I'm afraid, will look like me if Bay of Fundy doesn't receive recognition as one of the Seven Wonders of Canada in the CBC contest. If you haven't already voted, it's not too late! Visit the CBC website before May 25. So far the BoF is coming in as one of the top three picks across Canada - yay!

Describing life sub-surface

Here's a bit more information from Andi's article previously quoted.

...the waters of the Bay of Fundy lie somewhere between two extremes in temperature, tropical and arctic, the region harbors an unusual mixture of creatures, drawn to the plant and animal plankton that thrive in its nutrient-rich waters.

While such marine life may be present in large quantities, it can still be hard to find. The green-tint that results from the abundance of phytoplankton can result in poor underwater visibility.

Photographer, Scott Leslie has witnessed the devastating impact that fishing trawlers have had on the ecosystem. “You’ll be swimming along in this gorgeous rich habitat then all of the sudden it becomes this desert,” caused by trawlers scouring the seafloor, he says. In this regard, Leslie’s images serve to educate and instill a deep appreciation of the richness of life not far from our shores and remind us of all we have to lose.

The art of undersea photography

While scouting out information about the undersea life of the Bay of Fundy I discover the photography of Scott Leslie’s on the Gulf of Maine Times website. Here's what editor, Andi Rierdon, says about Scott's images:

On an icy spring day in Nova Scotia when the sea and sky are the color of pewter, it’s hard to imagine a creature as animated and colorful as the blue morph lumpfish living beneath the surface of the Bay of Fundy. To the untutored eye, Leslie’s undersea images are more likely to conjure up the tropical waters of Bonaire, Cozumel or the Great Barrier Reef. From the iridescent blues andon the magentas of a lion’s mane jellyfish shooting to a sunlit surface, to the translucent rainbow arc of a ctenophore, these portraits convey a kaleidoscope world full of character and surprise ... and testify to the variety and beauty of creatures living within the coves and open waters of the northern Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Canada.

Dive into certain areas along the Bay of Fundy coast, for example, “and within 20 minutes you can pick out five, six, seven different phylums—you are actually seeing all these different planets of life,” Leslie says. The undersea repertoire includes everything from rock crabs, sea ravens and fan worms to northern lampshells, anemones, eel pouts and tunicates. And unlike the more tropical locales where divers and snokelers abound, he adds, “the adventure of photographing in cold water environments is that it is so rarely done.”

Leslie, who lives in Granville Beach, Nova Scotia, has worked for years as a land-based wildlife photographer and continues to publish widely in North American publications. His foray into undersea photography began in the 1990s after viewing the works of National Geographic undersea photographer David Doublilet.

Undersea life in the Bay of Fundy

Although the Bay of Fundy receives much attention for the 100 billion tonnes of sea water that moves in and out with the tide twice a day, there is a whole other story to tell about the permanent undersea environment of the Bay. The rich ocean floor of the Bay of Fundy has been compared to the Amazon rainforest in terms of its significance to the world. As part of the larger Gulf of Maine inland sea, the Bay of Fundy is rich with a conglomeration of life uniformly bound together by dependence on the cold, rich, and relatively unspoiled waters of this marine ecosystem.

I'm certainly no marine scientist but I thought I'd use the next few blog posts to take a look sub-surface to see what lies beneath.

To start I've selected a few intriguing images of some of the creatures who inhabit the Bay of Fundy floor. Here we've got a purple sunstar, sea raven (that's the fish) and a regular starfish sharing space with an anemone.

7 Wonders of Canada - Bay of Fundy makes shortlist!

Wow, heard yesterday that our beloved Bay of Fundy had made the shortlist of 50 possible Wonders of Canada. This friendly contest initiated by CBC received about 18,000 nominations from all across Canada! The big list was whittled down to 50 from which an eventual 7 will be chosen sometime in the next few weeks. I think this contest was a great way to raise awareness of some pretty amazing places and some quintessentially Canadian wonders like the Montreal bagel and the canoe!!

Visit the CBC website if you'd like to vote for your favourite 7 Canadian Wonders.

Right whale sightings in record numbers

Interesting new Cape Cod this week: for some reason 'our' Northern Right whales are congregating there this spring in record numbers before they make their annual trek up to the Bay of Fundy for summer feeding.

Staff at the Provincetown (Massachusetts) Center for Coastal Studies have identified at least 120 whales - that's out of a worldwide population of about 400 of these critically endangered whales.

Marine Fisheries has issued an advisory to mariners in the region which has insured that boat speeds are set at 10 knots for a circle about 10 miles in diameter around Provincetown until the whales leave the area for the Bay of Fundy as they usually do by early May.

Whale monitoring is certainly an international effort with many researchers up and down the Atlantic seaboard in various states and provinces keeping a close eye on Right whales and other whales. From this map you can see the normal annual travel range of Northern Right whales

Here in the Bay of Fundy, our whale watch tour companies not only follow a strict code of ethics to protect the whales but also contribute to whale research by logging sighting details from now through November when the whales head south again. Kudos to these small tourism business operators for contributing to public awareness of Right whales and for doing their bit to add to the vast body of knowledge about this endangered species.

What is a Tidal Bore?

The Bay of Fundy's tidal bore is one of many aspects of the world's highest tides that fascinates people.

A tidal bore is a wall of water that moves 'backwards' up low-lying rivers during an incoming tide. Tidal bores form when an incoming tide rushes up a river which is flowing down toward the sea. Thus we have the phenomenon of the river changing its flow before your very eyes, flowing in over the outgoing river water.

The height of tidal bores increases with the range of the tide and may very in height from just a ripple to several feet. A tidal bore (bore = crest or wave) is a natural phenomenon which is seen in very few parts of the world. Bay of Fundy tidal bores are seen in many rivers in the upper bay with every tide, twice every 24 hrs, year-round.