The bay was namedBakudabakek by the indigenousMi'kmaq andPassamaquoddy groups, meaning "open way". TheWolastoqiyik peoples named itWekwabegituk, meaning "waves at the head of the bay".[3] The name "Fundy" has been speculated to have derived from the French wordfendu ("split")[4] orFond de la Baie ("head of the bay"). Some individuals have disputed this, includingWilliam Francis Ganong, who suggested that the name likely derived from Portuguese origin instead, specifically regardingJoão Álvares Fagundes, who may have referred to the bay asGram Baya ("Great Bay") and nearby waters asRio Fondo ("deep river").[3]
Thetidal range in the Bay of Fundy is about 16 metres (52 ft); the average tidal range worldwide is only one metre (3.3 ft). Some tides are higher than others, depending on the position of the moon, the sun, and atmospheric conditions. Tides aresemidiurnal, meaning they have two highs and two lows each day, with about 6 hours and 13 minutes between each high and low tide.[5]
Because oftidal resonance in the funnel-shaped bay, the tides that flow through the channel are very powerful. In one half-day tidal cycle, about 100 billion tonnes (110 billionshort tons) of water flow in and out of the bay, which is twice as much as the combined total flow of all the rivers of the world over the same period.[6] TheAnnapolis Royal Generating Station, a 20 MWtidal power station on theAnnapolis River upstream ofAnnapolis Royal, was, until its shutdown in 2019,[7] one of the few tidal generating stations in the world, and the only one in North America.[8]
Most of the rivers that drain into the Bay of Fundy have atidal bore, a wave front of the incoming tide that "bores" its way up a river against its normal flow. Notable tidal bores include those on thePetitcodiac,Maccan,St. Croix, andKennetcook rivers.[9] Before the construction of acauseway in 1968 and subsequentsiltation of the river, thePetitcodiac River had one of the world's largest tidal bores, up to two metres (6.6 ft) high. Since the opening of the causeway gates in 2010, the bore has been coming back, and in 2013 surfers rode it a record-breaking 29 kilometres (18 mi).[10]
During the continental breakup,magma erupted asbasalticlavas and leftigneous rock formations such as thecolumnar jointing which can be seen onBrier andGrand Manan islands, among other places around the bay. These flows often are the sites of rarer mineral deposits includingagate,amethyst, andstilbite, the latter being the provincial mineral of Nova Scotia.[11]
Although some land areas are protected, there is no formal marine protection zone in the bay.[16] The Conservation Council of New Brunswick works to protect the ecosystem of the bay.[17][18] A result of shipping traffic has been the potential for increased collisions between ships and the critically endangeredNorth Atlantic right whale. In 2003, theCanadian Coast Guard adjusted shipping lanes crossing prime whale feeding areas at the entrance to the Bay of Fundy to lessen the risk of collision. Many other marine mammals are found in the bay includingfin whales,humpback whales,minke whales,Atlantic white-sided dolphin and theharbour porpoise.
The Bay of Fundy mudflats are a rare and uniqueintertidal habitat. Major mudflats are found on around the Maringouin Peninsula which lies betweenShepody Bay and theCumberland Basin and at the northern end ofChignecto Bay. On the Nova Scotia side, mudflats are found on the southern side of theMinas Basin and inCobequid Bay. In the Minas Basin, the size of the mudflats from low to high water marks is as much as 4 km (2.5 mi).[19] Due to tidal turbulence, the water in these area contains very high amounts of fine sediment, source from tidal erosion ofCarboniferous andTriassic sedimentary rock.Primary producers includehollow green weed,phytoplankton,algae, andsea lettuce.
Protected areas include:
Boot Island National Wildlife Area in the Minas Basin near the mouth of theGaspereau River.[20]
Chignecto National Wildlife Area: near Amherst, contains a wide variety of habitats due to its geology.[21]
Grindstone Island Conservation Easement: managed by the Nature Trust of New Brunswick through a conservation easement on an island at the entrance of Shepody Bay.[22]
Isle Haute, managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service.[23]
John Lusby Marsh National Wildlife Area: a large wetland system near Amherst.[24]
Raven Head Wilderness Area, protects 44 km (27 mi) of undeveloped coast along the bay. It is southwest of Joggins and also a site for fossils. It is also a wildlife habitat for endangered species.[25]
South Wolf Island Nature Preserve: in the lower bay, about 12 km (7.5 mi) offshore fromBlacks Harbour. It was donated to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick byClover Leaf Seafoods in 2011. It is ecologically important for birds, some not common on the mainland, as well as some very rare plants.[18]
TheMiꞌkmaq fished in the Bay of Fundy and lived in communities around the bay for centuries before the first Europeans arrived. According to Miꞌkmaq legend, the tide was created whenGlooscap wanted to take a bath.[28]
The first European to visit the bay may have been Portuguese explorerJoão Álvares Fagundes in about 1520, although the bay does not appear on Portuguese maps until 1558.[29] The first European settlement was French, founded atSaint Croix Island in Maine, and thenPort Royal, founded byPierre Dugua andSamuel de Champlain in 1605. Champlain named itLabaye Francoise[30][31] (The French Bay). Champlain describes finding an old rotted cross in the bay which may have been left by the Portuguese.[29]
There was much military action and many attacks on the settlements around the bay, first as the French and British fought for control of the area, leading to theexpulsion of the Acadians, and later by Americans during theAmerican Revolution and theWar of 1812.[33]
The highest water level ever recorded, 21.6 metres (71 feet), occurred in October 1869. It caused extensive destruction to ports and communities, much of which was attributed to a two-metrestorm surge created by theSaxby Gale, atropical cyclone, which coincided with aperigean springtide. Waves breached dykes protecting low-lying farmland in theMinas Basin and theTantramar Marshes, sending ocean waters surging far inland.
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