Moncton and the Bay of Fundy's Tides

Next up on our travel itinerary was Moncton, New Brunswick. We stayed at a small hostel a walkable distance away from the train station.

Tidal bore

After checking in, we walked to the Bore View Park in the hopes to see the tidal bore. A tidal bore is a tide so strong that it pushes up a river against the current. In Moncton the tidal bore is caused by the Bay of Fundy tides. It occurs twice a day and because the river sediment does not have enough time to settle, the Petitcodiac River has a brown chocolatey color. The river is also informally called as the Chocolate River. To me that’s a pretty accurate name!

Doesn't this look like chocolate? And even more so in real life.

Anyways, we did not see the bore that time but we did come back another day to see it (it’s convenient that they even have a schedule!). It was crazy to see this big wave climbing up the river. We also had a lot of fun walking barefoot along the river bank afterwards, sinking slightly into the ground with each step and imagining that it’s made of chocolate.

The tidal bore isn’t the only interesting (and tourist friendly) tidal phenomenon near Moncton that is caused by the Bay of Fundy tides. Another fascinating destination is the Hopewell Rocks, also known as the Flowerpot Rocks. The Hopewell Rocks are unique rock formations carved by glacial retreat and subsequent tidal erosion over thousands of years. The views during the high and low tides are dramatically different and it makes for a perfect place to experience the Bay of Fundy’s tides which are the highest tides in the world!

Check out the tide comparison photos that I took! During the high tide, you can take a kayak tour and during the low tide, you get to walk on the ocean’s floor. What I found really nice is that the entrance passes are valid for two consecutive days, giving you all the time you need to observe the Rocks during a full tidal cycle. For example, we came here in the evening during the high tide when the park was about to close and came back the next day to see the low tide as well. Observing the water gradually come and go inspired this artistic interpretation of mine “explaining” where all the (chocolate) water disappears to!

A giant girl drinking a sea of chocolate milk

Dickson Falls Trail

When we were visiting the Hopewell Rocks the second time, we still had time before the low tide, so we decided to go see the Fundy National Park. We picked a popular and easy trail called Dickson Falls. Although the flora and fauna in this region felt different — though I’m no expert in Canadian nature — somehow the atmosphere reminded me of hikes back in BC. The park was beautiful and very well maintained and my only wish was that we had more time to explore more (and longer) trails.

Only in Canada...

Aaaand this pretty much sums up the highlights of our Moncton adventures. I will leave you with this cute “No hockey” sign that we came across on our way back to the train station. Just Canadian things?