The Pull of the Tide – Hopewell Rocks
The Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy are an example of land formations created by extreme tidal erosion. Also known as the Flowerpot Rocks for their distinctive shape, the tallest of them stand at seventy feet, towering above the low tide. The Bay of Fundy acts like a narrow funnel here, compressing the water into a tighter and tighter spot, pushing it up into the Hopewell Rocks. An illustration of the world’s biggest tidal range – of 16.3 metres – there are seventeen sea stacks, which haven been likened to things as diverse as a dinosaur, a baby elephant, an aardvark and a mother-in-law!
Every august, semi-palmated sandpipers come to the bay to double their weight by gorging on mud shrimp before setting off on a non-stop migratory journey to South America. They migrate in a vast fling, 40,000 birds flying as one giant beast. Bladderwrack filled with clear algen, is found here and is used in the production of chocolate milk, tooth paste, yoghurt, as an emulsifier and of course facial products. This wonder weed is the sea’s answer to Aloe Vera.
The pull of the tide here is strong, the strongest in the world even. Nearly as strong as my desire to return.
