A few hours after arriving at Headquarters Campground in Fundy National Park, I stepped out into the cool evening and headed to the Bay of Fundy. Breathing in the salt air, I felt the joy of anticipation and being in a place so wildly new and different. After a 5-min walk, I stood on the edge of a ½-mile long tidal flat. First impressions stick – the first time I saw the Bay of Fundy. But it would be one week later, our final day at Fundy National Park that I would remember most.
The Bay of Fundy is known for having the world’s largest tides, topping at 50 feet. Twice a day, we can gaze over a large expanse of bay from our campground and see little water as far as the eyes can see. About 28 miles north of the national park is the very popular Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park where Fundy’s tidal effects can be enjoyed like an amusement park. At low tide, you can walk among very tall sea stacks carved over time by the powerful influences of water. If you only see the rocks at low tide, you must imagine them surrounded by high-tide water because it is a completely different scene all together. That’s the thrill of it, knowing the sea floor you walk on will be under 40 feet of water within a few hours.
Bay of Fundy is also well known for its supply of seafood. Consequently, many meals were enjoyed during our time in the Canadian Maritimes – lobster, scallops, haddock, mussels. Living on the Gulf of Mexico has given us a full respect for tides as we know the difficulty of navigating the shallow waters of Chokoloskee Bay at low tide. There, we deal with 3-4 feet tides on a full or new moon, which require little more than a thoughtful pause before venturing out. Not so on the Bay of Fundy where a fisherman’s boat can be sitting high and dry for hours. Fundy fishermen must time their fishing precisely with the tides.
Yet another feature of Fundy Bay is the tidal bore, which we saw with our own eyes where the Shubenacadie River meets the bay. A tidal bore is a wave of water on the leading edge of an incoming tide, formed from the funneling of water into a narrow and shallow inlet, such as the Shubenacadie. Entrepreneurs capitalize on the thrill of riding a tidal wave on rafts. Our better judgement kept us from doling out for a rafting tour and instead, brought us to a lookout pier from which we could look down upon the incoming tide and wave at the muddy rafters coming in with it. Not to downplay Fundy’s phenomenal tides, but the tidal bore that day was, well, boring.
One of the first things we learned about the Bay of Fundy upon arriving at Fundy National Park is that as the water of an incoming tide rolls in, so does the fog. And because of the great tides of Fundy Bay, it follows that the fog is just as impressive. And it is here that we come to our final evening at Fundy National Park.
Before sunset, the most beautiful and ethereal show of fog formed on cue with the incoming tide. We witnessed it with the backdrop of a blue sky and setting sun that illuminated the misty air with colors – purple, red, yellow, blue. The colorful fog rolled in over green pastures of farms that cover the land between us and the shoreline. If not for the fact that darkness loomed, the twisting narrow road we were on, and exhaustion from driving 135 miles unexpectedly, I would have pulled the truck over and photographed the captivating scene – one I will never witness again but will never forget.
Spencer would have gotten out with his camera as well. Photos of Fundy’s magic would have been shared. But it was not to be. The four of us were tired from a long day of sitting in the truck for hours for what was to be a relatively short trip to the city for laundry and groceries but turned into a day-long excursion. Several hours earlier and only one mile from our campground, the road ahead of us had just been closed. It was an unfortunate circumstance that required us to take a 135-mile detour to enter the campground from another direction, a most tragic one for some others. Solemnly I drove (and with extra care) while all of us felt a sadness.
And then within 10 miles of home, we were graced with the surreal beauty of the Fundy fog as it rolled in from the heavens. In awe, we tried to comprehend the situation. because under the best of circumstances, we would have missed it. Within minutes, we were back at the campground, relieved to be home before dark. Despite all that, it was the fog that made our final day on Fundy Bay a memorable one, although I have no proof of it. With that, tomorrow is another day and it’s time to leave Fundy National Park.
Stayed tuned as we continue our travels through much of Canada’s Maritimes. Meanwhile check out our previous blogs about our time in Canada so far.
Changing Views From Our RV 
“D*mn fog!”
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