It is in bay of Fundy, on the Southern coast of New Brunswick, which one records the highest tides of the world.
Of course, this phenomenon has repercussions spectacular and uncommon, famous rocks of Hopewell Cape until the reversible falls of John Saint…
Pots of flowers on the strike
The provincial Park Hopewell Rocks is one of the most popular attractions of New Brunswick. But it is with nature that it must. Like bay of Fundy a kind of funnel forms here, the range of the tide reached there of the records. Twice per day, when the tide goes up, the level of water climbs of forty feet, which corresponds to the highest tides of the sphere.
With time, the force of the waves and the amplitude of the tides whipped, notched and carved the rocks of the coast, in particular with the course Hopewell. With low tide, one zigzags there through the many algae and small shellfish left by the undertow, with the funny one of impression to walk not on the beach but literally at the sea-bed. And in front of us draw up these immense rocks, with their curious covered summits of vegetation.
Several of them inherited nicknames inspired by their evocative forms. Thus, one can see there the “mask of Indian”, the “rock of in love” or, the “pot of flowers”. No doubt, this long beach and this unusual landscape can occupy of long hours of walk, but the hikers must however show vigilance, with the risk to have to note themselves that these tides go up indeed in record time.
The park and the path of Fundy
If one follows the coast while going towards the west, one arrives at the doors of the National park of Fundy, the ideal place to discover geology, the flora and the various ecosystems of bay. Besides with the building of reception of the park, in Alma, one organizes night safaris and many interpreters of the marine life.
One also finds, with the accesses of the park, several tourist companies which propose a variety of activities to discover bay under all its seams: excursions in the kayak of sea, climbing, horsemanship, pedestrian excursion, etc.
Moreover, for a few years, the followers of the excursion have had also access to the path of Fundy, which begins with a few kilometers from the village from Martins Saint, also very picturesque with its red rocks and its covered bridges. The path of Fundy allows the pedestrians and cyclists to skirt bay on 16 kilometers.
Of course, this walk holds many points of view on cliffs and the coast, more especially as the path does not count less than one dozen view-points, from which several are also accessible for people to reduced mobility.
Reversible falls
The enormous tides of bay of Fundy also have repercussions until Saint John. This time, their power goes until reversing the course of the falls there, a rather uncommon phenomenon which one can observe in the medium of the river Saint John to all the changes of tide. The rising tide faces there the force and the current coming from three rivers which are thrown to this place. Between the tides, the river is of calms flat, without current none.
But, as soon as the tide goes up or goes down, the force of attraction of the two sources of water causes in the river of the movements which flow in a direction with high tide and another with low tide. A tourist company, moreover directed by an Inhabitant of Quebec, proposes turns of jet boat in the heart of the falls of the river Saint John.
The boats take only one dozen passengers at the same time, to make them live 20 minutes of rodeo in the waves, strong feelings and splashes in premium, of course.
The same company offers also another adventure, rather single and intense: the bubble. The participants are attached by harnesses inside a structure of plastic similar to a giant ball. They are held to with it upright or squatted and have fun in the waves, inside this ball driven by their movements.
Moreover, it is by the amplitude of these movements that the participants determine themselves the pace and the intensity of the action.
The harness retains them inside the bubble and a boat follows them throughout all their tour.
Posted: January 13th, 2008 under Travel in general.
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