The Bay of Fundy is home to the world’s highest tides. Imagine one hundred billion tons of water flowing in and out of the Bay of Fundy twice a day. That is equivalent to all the water in all the rivers on the planet!

Photo Credit: Communications New Brunswick / Image Bank

This amazing phenomenon is caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon. During the new and full moon phase, the gravitational pull is stronger than usual and causes “spring tides” which are higher than normal. “Neap”, or weaker tides, occur when the moon is at right angles to the line between the earth and the sun and so the gravitational pull is weaker.

The funnel-shape of the Bay is also a factor in the high tides. Wide and deep at one end and shallow at the other, tides are pushed increasingly higher as they move up the Bay.