Walking on the Ocean Floor

That's what these folks were seen doing on our recent road trip during a stop in New Brunswick Canada. This scene, a natural phenomena, was in Hopewell Rocks where the ocean floor was accessible for 3 hours before until 3 hours after low tide. 

These unique rock formations are on the shores of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, which has some of the world's highest tides, and is considered one of the most interesting marine wonders worldwide. It's taken thousands of years for the massive tides of the Bay of Fundy to sculpt these unusual formations. They stand 40 to 70 feet high (12–21 meters).

The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

The rock formations that make up the Hopewell Rocks are called Sea Stacks and have been carved from the cliffs by time, tide and wind. They are commonly referred to as Flowerpot Rocks since at high tide only the tree tops are visible. There's over 20 free-standing sea stacks scattered along just over a mile (2 kilometers) of shoreline. 

The Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park website gives information on daily low tide times. The tides can vary daily with high tide as high 52 feet (16 meters) which gives the Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world. Visitors can explore the beach on their own or join a Park interpreter. The website notes that the formations aren't ever 100 per cent safe. Sturdy footwear is recommended, although we saw folks wearing sneakers and sandals. Due to the mud, the ocean floor isn't handicap accessible; wheelchairs can be difficult to navigate.

The muddy bottom is because the Bay of Fundy tides are always in motion. As the tide flows over the mud flats, it moves the sediment and suspends it in the water. This sediment never fully settles and so results in mud. Swimming isn't allowed at the Hopewell Rocks and neither does the park allow the launching of private watercraft. 

If you're wondering about what looks like brown wet mud, that's exactly right and it's also slippery. Sturdy footwear is recommended, although we saw folks wearing sneakers and sandals. Due to the mud, the ocean floor isn't handicap accessible as wheelchairs can be difficult to navigate. 

The muddy bottom is because the Bay of Fundy tides are always in motion. As the tide flows over the mud flats, it moves the sediment and suspends it in the water. This sediment never fully settles and so results in mud. Swimming isn't allowed at the Hopewell Rocks and neither does the park allow the launching of private watercraft. 

We didn't walk on the ocean floor as we didn't want mud-covered shoes. Instead we watched from the observation deck, 99 steps above the ground. The deck had a washing station where shoes, feet, and pets could be cleared of mud. We saw a formerly white dog on the mud flats the day of our visit.

The large volumes of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy has modified the landscape surrounding it. When glaciers in the region retreated after the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and associated waves eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

Elephant Rock (Hopewell Rocks) before and after its 2016 collapse (CBC photo)

We missed seeing one of the most well-known Flowerpot Rock formations by nearly a decade. In 2016, Elephant Rock split and collapsed from ongoing erosion forces. It was one of the most photographed of these formations. When it was sheared nearly in half, an estimated 100 to 200 tons of rock fell to the ground. Elephant Rock was so popular that it's featured on New Brunswick's Medicare card. Names of some of the other formations are Bear, Dinosaur, ET and even Mother-in-Law.

Like so many popular sights, even natural wonders, this experience comes with an admission cost. The good news is that it covers two consecutive days and visitors are encouraged to visit at both high tide and low tide. Unfortunately, we bypassed that chance as we didn't have time to return a second day. We were continuing to Prince Edward Island on the next part of our road trip. 

Dorothy & Patrick at Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick, Canada

I read that no Canadian vacation is complete without having experienced these rock icons. (Yes, I know that's an awful pun.) Even though we didn't walk on the ocean floor, just seeing it was an experience. If you get the chance to visit, by all means It's a sight that should not be overlooked. Our thanks to fellow blogger Rain for the recommendation.

Confederation Bridge links New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Canada

Leaving New Brunswick we travelled on the Confederation Bridge, a two-lane bridge  that links the province of Prince Edward Island with the mainland province of New Brunswick. Opened in May 1997, the 8-mile (12.9-kilometer) bridge is Canada's longest and the world's longest bridge over ice-covered water. If you enter PEI through the Confederation Bridge and leave through the same bridge, there is no entry charge but there is an exit charge, currently it's $50.25. PEI is the only province in Canada where residents have to pay at its border to leave. 

A fellow blogger asked if residents also have to pay the toll and it seems that they do. According to an online article, tolls had been frozen a second year to support bridge users, especially PEI residents and businesses hit by high inflation.

I also read that the Confederation Bridge is a federally owned asset and that the Government of Canada has an agreement with the bridge operator, Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, to operate and maintain the bridge until 2032. The bridge operator has the exclusive right to collect all tolls.