View source for Bay of Fundy

{{short description|Bay on the east coast of North America}}
{{for|the local service district of Fundy Bay|Saint George Parish, New Brunswick#Fundy Bay}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Bay of Fundy
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| other_name         = Baie de Fundy
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| image              = Image:Wpdms nasa topo bay of fundy - en.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = The Bay of Fundy
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| location           = [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Maine]]
| group              = 
| coordinates        = {{Coord|45|00|N|65|45|W|scale:2000000|display=inline,title}}
| type               = Estuary
| etymology          = Likely from the French ''Fendu'', meaning "split".
| part_of            = 
| inflow             = Canada and United States
| rivers             = [[Big Salmon River (New Brunswick)|Big Salmon]], [[Magaguadavic River|Magaguadavic]], [[Memramcook River|Memramcook]], [[Petitcodiac River|Petitcodiac]], [[Quiddy River|Quiddy]], [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|Saint John]], [[St. Croix River (Maine-New Brunswick)|St. Croix]], [[Upper Salmon River|Upper Salmon]], [[Annapolis River|Annapolis]], [[Avon River (Nova Scotia)|Avon]], [[Cornwallis River|Cornwallis]], [[Farrells River|Farrells]], [[Salmon River (Nova Scotia)|Salmon]], [[Shubenacadie River|Shubenacadie]], [[Kennetcook River|Kennetcook]]
| outflow            = [[Gulf of Maine]]
| oceans             = Atlantic Ocean
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The '''Bay of Fundy''' ({{langx|fr|Baie de Fundy}}) is a bay between the [[Canadian province]]s of [[New Brunswick]] and [[Nova Scotia]], with a small portion touching the [[U.S. state]] of [[Maine]]. It is an arm of the [[Gulf of Maine]] and part of the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. It has the highest [[tidal range]] in the world,<ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Where is the highest tide? |url=https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/highesttide.html |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=oceanservice.noaa.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> averaging about {{convert|16|m}} due to [[tidal resonance]] in its [[funnel]]-shaped basin. In one half-day tidal cycle, around 100 billion tonnes (110 billion [[short ton]]s) of water flows in and out, twice the combined flow of all the world's rivers.

== Etymology ==
The bay was named ''Bakudabakek'' by the indigenous [[Mi'kmaq]] and [[Passamaquoddy]] groups, meaning "open way". The [[Wolastoqiyik]] peoples named it ''Wekwabegituk'', meaning "waves at the head of the bay".<ref name="Backyard-1">{{cite news |title=What Does "Fundy" Mean? |url=https://backyardhistory.ca/f/what-does-fundy-mean?blogcategory=Bay+of+Fundy |access-date=April 24, 2025 |work=Backyard History |date=June 17, 2022 |archive-date=April 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425175308/https://backyardhistory.ca/f/what-does-fundy-mean?blogcategory=Bay%20of%20Fundy |url-status=live }}</ref> The name "Fundy" has been speculated to have derived from the French word {{lang|fr|fendu}} ("split")<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Fundy, Bay of and Gulf of Maine|first1=Chris|last1=Garrett|first2=Tony|last2=Koslow|first3=Rabindra|last3=Singh|orig-year=July 8, 2010|date=March 25, 2015|encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|publisher=[[Historica Canada]]|edition=online|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bay-of-fundy-and-gulf-of-maine|access-date=March 22, 2018|archive-date=May 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514081259/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bay-of-fundy-and-gulf-of-maine|url-status=live}}</ref> or {{lang|fr|Fond de la Baie}} ("head of the bay"). Some individuals have disputed this, including [[William Francis Ganong]], who suggested that the name likely derived from Portuguese origin instead, specifically regarding [[João Álvares Fagundes]], who may have referred to the bay as {{lang|pt|Gram Baya}} ("Great Bay") and nearby waters as {{lang|pt|Rio Fondo}} ("deep river").<ref name="Backyard-1"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ganong |first1=William Francis |author1-link=William Francis Ganong |title=A monograph of the place-nomenclature of the province of New Brunswick |date=1896 |publisher=J. Durie & Son; Copp-Clark Co.; B. Quaritch |pages=234–235 |via=[[Columbia University Libraries]] |url=https://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6072306_000/ldpd_6072306_000.pdf |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref>

== Hydrology ==
{{multiple image
| footer = [[Alma, New Brunswick]], at high and low tide
| width = 150
| image1 = Bay of Fundy High Tide.jpg
| image2 = Bay of Fundy Low Tide.jpg
}}
=== Tides ===
The [[tidal range]] in the Bay of Fundy is about {{convert|16|m}}; the average tidal range worldwide is only {{convert|1|m|ft|spell=in}}. Some tides are higher than others, depending on the position of the moon, the sun, and atmospheric conditions. Tides are ''semidiurnal'', meaning they have two highs and two lows each day, with about 6&nbsp;hours and 13&nbsp;minutes between each high and low tide.<ref name=explorenb>{{cite web |title=The Bay of Fundy is a 160&nbsp;billion tonne wonder; here's why |date=2018-05-02 |series=Tourism New Brunswick |publisher=[[Government of New Brunswick]] |type=blog |url=http://blog.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/the-bay-of-fundy-is-a-160-billion-tonne-wonder-heres-why |via=tourismnewbrunswick.ca |access-date=7 June 2019 |archive-date=2020-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115192910/http://blog.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/the-bay-of-fundy-is-a-160-billion-tonne-wonder-heres-why |url-status=live }}</ref>

Because of [[tidal 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 billion [[short ton]]s) of water flows 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why are the Bay of Fundy tides so high? |website=bayfundy.net |url=https://www.bayfundy.net/science/hightides.html |access-date=15 June 2019 |archive-date=18 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218110010/https://www.bayfundy.net/science/hightides.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Annapolis Royal Generating Station]], a 20&nbsp;[[Megawatt|MW]] [[tidal power]] station on the [[Annapolis River]] upstream of [[Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia|Annapolis Royal]], was, until its shutdown in 2019,<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Withers |date=23 February 2021 |title=Nova Scotia Power to pull plug on tidal station; seeks $25M from ratepayers |department=Nova Scotia |website=cbc.ca/news |publisher=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-power-annapolis-generating-station-1.5924509 |access-date=26 June 2023 |archive-date=26 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126184429/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-power-annapolis-generating-station-1.5924509 |url-status=live }}</ref> one of the few tidal generating stations in the world, and the only one in North America.<ref>{{cite web |title=Annapolis Tidal Station |website=nspower.ca |publisher=[[Nova Scotia Power]] |url=https://www.nspower.ca/en/home/about-us/how-we-make-electricity/renewable-electricity/annapolis-tidal-station.aspx |url-status=dead |access-date=1 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701142750/https://www.nspower.ca/en/home/about-us/how-we-make-electricity/renewable-electricity/annapolis-tidal-station.aspx |archive-date=1 July 2019 |lang=en-CA }}</ref>

Most of the rivers that drain into the Bay of Fundy have a [[tidal 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 the [[Petitcodiac River|Petitcodiac]], [[Maccan River (Nova Scotia)|Maccan]], [[St. Croix River (Nova Scotia)|St.&nbsp;Croix]], and [[Kennetcook River|Kennetcook]] rivers.<ref name=bore>{{cite web |title=The tidal bore |website=bayoffundytourism.com |publisher=Bay of Fundy Tourism |url=http://bayoffundytourism.com/worlds-highest-tides/tidal-bore/ |access-date=15 June 2019 |lang=en-CA |archive-date=16 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116215903/http://bayoffundytourism.com/worlds-highest-tides/tidal-bore/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Before the construction of a [[causeway]] in 1968 and subsequent [[siltation]] of the river, the [[Petitcodiac River]] had one of the world's largest tidal bores, up to {{convert|2|m|ft|spell=in}} 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 {{convert|29|km|abbr=}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Surfers set record after 29&nbsp;km ride on Moncton tidal bore |date=25 July 2013 |department=New Brunswick |website=cbc.ca/news |publisher=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/surfers-set-record-after-29-km-ride-on-moncton-tidal-bore-1.1327888 |access-date=18 June 2019 |lang=en-CA}}</ref>

Other tidal phenomena include the [[Reversing Falls]] near the mouth of the [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|St.&nbsp;John River]], a [[rip tide]] at [[Cape Enrage]], and the [[Old Sow whirlpool]] at [[Passamaquoddy Bay]].<ref name=bore/>

==Geology==
The story of the [[Fundy Basin]] begins about 220 million years ago in the [[late Triassic]], when all land on earth was part of a [[supercontinent]] called [[Pangaea]]. At that time what is now [[the Maritimes]] was situated near the [[equator]] and had a warm [[tropics|tropical]] climate and lush vegetation.<ref name="billion">{{cite book |title=The Last Billion Years: A geological history of the maritime provinces of Canada |year=2001 |publisher=[[Atlantic Geoscience Society]] (via Nimbus Pub) |isbn=1-55109-351-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/lastbillionyears0000unse/page/126 126–134] |url=https://archive.org/details/lastbillionyears0000unse/page/126 |via=[[Internet Archive]] }}</ref> As [[continental drift]] reshaped the world between the [[Late Triassic]] and [[Early Jurassic]] periods, [[Pangaea]] broke up. This [[Rift|rifting]] event created a series of [[Rift basin|rift basins]] along eastern North America, including the [[Fundy Basin]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Withjack |first=Martha Oliver |last2=Olsen |first2=Paul E. |last3=Schlische |first3=Roy W. |date=1995 |title=Tectonic evolution of the Fundy rift basin, Canada: Evidence of extension and shortening during passive margin development |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/94TC03087 |journal=Tectonics |language=en |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=390–405 |doi=10.1029/94TC03087 |issn=1944-9194|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Withjack |first=Martha Oliver |last2=Schlische |first2=Roy W. |last3=Olsen |first3=Paul E. |date=1998 |title=Diachronous rifting, drifting, and inversion on the passive margin of central eastern North America: an analog for other passive margins |url=https://www.researchwithrutgers.com/en/publications/diachronous-rifting-drifting-and-inversion-on-the-passive-margin-/ |journal=AAPG Bulletin |volume=82 |issue=5 A |pages=817–835 |issn=0149-1423}}</ref> 

During the continental breakup, [[magma]] erupted as [[basalt]]ic [[lava]]s and left [[igneous rock]] formations such as the [[columnar jointing]] which can be seen on [[Brier Island|Brier]] and [[Grand Manan]] islands, among other places around the bay. These flows often are the sites of rarer mineral deposits including [[agate]], [[amethyst]], and [[stilbite]], the latter being the provincial mineral of Nova Scotia.<ref name=billion/>

These rifts filled with [[sediment]] which became [[sedimentary rock]]. Many fossils have been found along the Fundy shoreline.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yeo |first=Ross |last2=Risk |first2=Michael J. |date=1981 |title=The Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, and Preservation of Intertidal Deposits in the Minas Basin System, Bay of Fundy |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jsedres/article/51/1/245-260/113618 |journal=SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research |language=en |volume=51 |doi=10.1306/212F7C5C-2B24-11D7-8648000102C1865D |issn=1527-1404}}</ref> The oldest [[dinosaur]] fossil in Canada was found at [[Burntcoat Head, Nova Scotia|Burntcoat Head]]. Very early [[reptile]]s have been discovered in [[Carboniferous]] tree trunks at [[Joggins]]. [[Wasson Bluff]] has a rich trove of Jurassic fossils.

The bay is a member of the [[Global Geoparks Network]],<ref name=geopark>{{cite web |title=Tidal landscapes on an ancient shoreline |department=Cliffs of Fundy Aspiring Global Geopark |series=[[Global Geoparks Network|UNESCO Global Geoparks]] |website=fundygeopark.ca |url=https://fundygeopark.ca/unesco-global-geoparks/ |access-date=15 June 2019 |archive-date=29 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429050030/https://fundygeopark.ca/unesco-global-geoparks/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a [[UNESCO]] initiative to promote and conserve the planet's geological heritage.

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:North Atlantic right whale.jpg|thumb|The critically endangered [[North Atlantic right whale]] can be found in the Bay of Fundy.]]
Although some land areas are protected, there is no formal marine protection zone in the bay.<ref name="cpaws">{{cite web |title=FAQ |url=http://www.protectbayoffundy.ca/ |website=Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society |access-date=19 June 2019 |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528133352/http://protectbayoffundy.ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Conservation Council of New Brunswick works to protect the ecosystem of the bay.<ref name="mc">{{cite web |title=Marine Conservation |url=https://www.conservationcouncil.ca/en/our-programs/marine-conservation/ |website=Conservation Council of New Brunswick |access-date=21 June 2019 |date=2013-02-17 |archive-date=2019-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621115400/https://www.conservationcouncil.ca/en/our-programs/marine-conservation/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=southwolf/> A result of shipping traffic has been the potential for increased collisions between ships and the critically endangered [[North Atlantic right whale]]. In 2003, the [[Canadian 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 including [[fin whale]]s, [[humpback whale]]s, [[minke whale]]s, [[Atlantic white-sided dolphin]] and the [[harbour porpoise]].

The Bay of Fundy mudflats are a rare and unique [[Intertidal zone|intertidal]] habitat. Major mudflats are found on around the Maringouin Peninsula which lies between [[Shepody Bay]] and the [[Cumberland Basin (Canada)|Cumberland Basin]] and at the northern end of [[Chignecto Bay]]. On the Nova Scotia side, mudflats are found on the southern side of the [[Minas Basin]] and in [[Cobequid Bay]]. In the Minas Basin, the size of the mudflats from low to high water marks is as much as {{Cvt|4|km}}.<ref name="mudflats">{{cite web |title=Bay of Funday Mudflats |url=https://sites.google.com/a/fundy-biosphere.ca/the-bay-of-fundy-mudflats/habitat |website=Fundy Biosphere |access-date=20 June 2019 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929020854/https://sites.google.com/a/fundy-biosphere.ca/the-bay-of-fundy-mudflats/habitat |url-status=dead }}</ref> Due to tidal turbulence, the water in these area contains very high amounts of fine sediment, source from tidal erosion of [[Carboniferous]] and [[Triassic]] sedimentary rock. [[Primary producers]] include [[Ulva intestinalis|hollow green weed]], [[phytoplankton]], [[algae]], and [[sea lettuce]].

Protected areas include:
* Boot Island National Wildlife Area in the Minas Basin near the mouth of the [[Gaspereau River (Nova Scotia)|Gaspereau River]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Boot Island National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/boot-island.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=20 June 2019 |date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2019-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503204919/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/boot-island.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Chignecto National Wildlife Area: near Amherst, contains a wide variety of habitats due to its geology.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chignecto National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/chignecto.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=20 June 2019 |date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2019-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511185248/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/chignecto.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grindstone Island Conservation Easement |url=https://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/grindstone-island?rq=grindstone%20island |website=Nature Trust of New Brunswick |access-date=19 June 2019 |archive-date=16 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616083954/https://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/grindstone-island?rq=grindstone%20island |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Isle Haute]], managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Isle Haute National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2019/04/isle-haute-national-wildlife-area.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=19 June 2019 |date=23 April 2019 |archive-date=18 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618212338/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2019/04/isle-haute-national-wildlife-area.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* John Lusby Marsh National Wildlife Area: a large wetland system near Amherst.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Lusby Marsh National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/john-lusby-marsh.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=20 June 2019 |date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2019-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620092429/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/john-lusby-marsh.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[New River Beach Provincial Park]] is a provincial park managed by the Government of New Brunswick near [[Saint John, New Brunswick]]
* Raven Head Wilderness Area, protects {{Cvt|44|km}} 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Raven Head Wilderness Area |url=https://novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/wa_raven-head.asp |website=Government of Nova Scotia |access-date=19 June 2019 |language=en |date=1 April 2009 |archive-date=19 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619195826/https://novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/wa_raven-head.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Shepody National Wildlife Area: a habitat for birds and other wildlife,<ref name="shepody-nwa">{{cite web |title=Shepody National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/shepody.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=20 June 2019 |date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2019-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620092427/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/shepody.html |url-status=live }}</ref> recognized as an important wetland under the [[Ramsar Convention]], a site of importance by the [[Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network]], and a bird area by [[BirdLife International]]. The dominant bird species is the [[semipalmated sandpiper]].
* South Wolf Island Nature Preserve: in the lower bay, about {{Cvt|12|km}} offshore from [[Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick|Blacks Harbour]]. It was donated to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick by [[Clover Leaf Seafoods]] in 2011. It is ecologically important for birds, some not common on the mainland, as well as some very rare plants.<ref name="southwolf">{{cite web |title=South Wolf Island Nature Preserve |url=https://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/south-wolf-island?rq=wolf%20island |website=Nature Trust of New Brunswick |access-date=19 June 2019 |archive-date=16 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616083947/https://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/south-wolf-island?rq=wolf%20island |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Tintamarre National Wildlife Area<ref>{{cite web |title=Tintamarre National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/tintamarre.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=20 June 2019 |date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2019-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620092427/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/tintamarre.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Human geography and history==
=== History ===
{{Main|History of Nova Scotia|History of New Brunswick}}

[[File:FortEdwardWindsorNovaScotiaCanada.JPG|thumb|[[Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)|Fort Edward]] (built 1750), [[Windsor, Nova Scotia]]—the oldest [[blockhouse]] in North America]]

The [[Miꞌkmaq]] 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 when [[Glooscap]] wanted to take a bath.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mi'kmaq Heritage |url=https://www.bayoffundy.com/articles/mikmaq-heritage/ |website=Bay of Fundy |access-date=15 June 2019 |language=en |date=1 February 2011 |archive-date=16 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616085550/https://www.bayoffundy.com/articles/mikmaq-heritage/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first European to visit the bay may have been Portuguese explorer [[João Álvares Fagundes]] in about 1520, although the bay does not appear on Portuguese maps until 1558.<ref name=marshland>{{cite web |title=European Contact and Mapping |url=https://www.mta.ca/marshland/topic3_europeans/european.htm |publisher=Mount Allison University |access-date=23 July 2019 |archive-date=24 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624233632/https://www.mta.ca/marshland/topic3_europeans/european.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first European settlement was French, founded at [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|Saint Croix Island]] in Maine, and then [[Annapolis Royal|Port Royal]], founded by [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons|Pierre Dugua]] and [[Samuel de Champlain]] in 1605. Champlain named it ''Labaye Francoise''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Champlain and the Settlement of Acadia 1604-1607 - Canadian-American Center - University of Maine |url=https://umaine.edu/canam/champlain-and-the-settlement-of-acadia-1604-1607/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=University of Maine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1607 Samuel de Champlain - New England Map |url=https://www.old-maps.com/newEngland/ne_1607champlain.htm |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=www.old-maps.com}}</ref> (The French Bay). Champlain describes finding an old rotted cross in the bay which may have been left by the Portuguese.<ref name=marshland/>

The village was the first permanent European settlement north of the Spanish [[St. Augustine, Florida]], and predated by two years the first permanent British settlement in [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. About 75 years later, [[Acadians]] spread out along the bay, founding [[Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia|Grand-Pré]], [[Beaubassin]], [[Cobequid]], and [[Pisiguit]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Faragher|first=John Mack|author-link=John Mack Faragher|title=A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from Their American Homeland|url=https://archive.org/details/greatnoblescheme00fara|url-access=registration|year=2005|publisher=W.W Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-05135-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatnoblescheme00fara/page/110 110]–112}}</ref>

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 the [[expulsion of the Acadians]], and later by Americans during the [[American Revolution]] and the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Joshua|title=Battle for the Bay: The Naval War of 1812|year=2011|publisher=Goose Lane Editions|location=Fredericton, NB|isbn=978-0-86492-644-9|pages=passim}}</ref>

In the 19th century, the bay was the site of much shipping, and shipbuilders flourished, including [[James Moran (shipbuilder)|James Moran]] of [[St. Martins, New Brunswick]], [[Joseph Salter]], of [[Moncton]], and [[William D. Lawrence]] of [[Maitland, Nova Scotia]]. Fundy ports produced the fastest ship in the world, {{ship||Marco Polo|1851 ship|2}}; the largest wooden ship ever built in Canada, {{ship||William D. Lawrence|ship|2}}; and the first female sea captain in the western world, [[Molly Kool]]. The mystery ship {{ship||Mary Celeste}} was also built there.

The highest water level ever recorded, {{convert|21.6|m|abbr=off}}, occurred in October 1869. It caused extensive destruction to ports and communities, much of which was attributed to a two-metre [[storm surge]] created by the [[1869 Saxby Gale|Saxby Gale]], a [[tropical cyclone]], which coincided with a [[Apsis|perigean]] spring [[tide]]. Waves breached dykes protecting low-lying farmland in the [[Minas Basin]] and the [[Tantramar Marshes]], sending ocean waters surging far inland.

===Settlements===
[[File:Saint_John,_NB.jpg|thumb|Saint John, NB, is the only major city on the Bay of Fundy.]]

The largest population centre on the bay is [[Saint John, New Brunswick]], a major port and the first incorporated city in what is now Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sjport.com/port-saint-john-reports-2016-tonnage/|title=Port Saint John reports 2016 tonnage|access-date=July 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728114258/https://www.sjport.com/port-saint-john-reports-2016-tonnage/|archive-date=July 28, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/saint-john/|title=Saint John|website=Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=June 12, 2017|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728154959/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/saint-john/|url-status=live}}</ref> Other settlements include, in New Brunswick, [[Saint Andrews, New Brunswick|St. Andrews]], [[Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick|Blacks Harbour]], [[Grand Manan]], [[Campobello Island|Campobello]], [[Fundy-St. Martins]], [[Alma, New Brunswick|Alma]], [[Riverside-Albert, New Brunswick|Riverside-Albert]], [[Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick|Hopewell Cape]], and [[Sackville, New Brunswick|Sackville]], and in Nova Scotia, [[Amherst, Nova Scotia|Amherst]], [[Advocate Harbour]], [[Parrsboro]], [[Truro, Nova Scotia|Truro]], [[Maitland, Nova Scotia|Maitland]], [[Cheverie, Nova Scotia|Cheverie]], [[Windsor, Nova Scotia|Windsor]], [[Wolfville]], [[Canning, Nova Scotia|Canning]], [[Annapolis Royal]], and [[Digby, Nova Scotia|Digby]].

===Ports and shipping===

The [[Port of Saint John]] is the largest port in Atlantic Canada by volume, giving access to the [[pulp and paper industry]] and the [[Irving Oil Refinery]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Plante |first1=Frédérik-Xavier D. |title=In Canada’s ‘most tariff-exposed’ city, uncertainty over the trade war looms large |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-saint-john-new-brunswick-tariff-trade-war/ |access-date=December 13, 2025 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=March 29, 2025 |language=en-CA}}</ref> [[Hantsport]], Nova Scotia, also has a pulp and paper mill and ships [[gypsum]] to the United States.

[[Image:GMV 11June2008.jpg|thumb|''Grand Manan V'' ferry at North Head, [[Grand Manan]] Island]]
Ferry services provide passenger and vehicle links across the Bay of Fundy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Evaluation of the Ferry Services Contribution Program |url=https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/evaluation-reports/evaluation-ferry-services-contribution-program |website=[[Government of Canada]] |publisher=[[Transport Canada]] |access-date=December 12, 2025 |language=en-CA}}</ref> The main interprovincial service operates between [[Saint John, New Brunswick]] and [[Digby, Nova Scotia]], aboard the ''[[MV Fundy Rose]]'' operated by [[Bay Ferries]].<ref name="CanTransport-1">{{cite web |title=Marine Transportation |url=https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/policies/marine-transportation |website=[[Government of Canada]] |publisher=[[Transport Canada]] |access-date=December 12, 2025 |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Refurbished ferry begins sailing between Saint John, N.B., and Digby, N.S. |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/2137036/refurbished-ferry-begins-sailing-between-saint-john-n-b-and-digby-n-s/ |access-date=December 13, 2025 |work=[[Global News]] |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |date=July 29, 2015}}</ref> Within New Brunswick, [[Coastal Transport Limited]] operates operates provincial ferry services connecting [[Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick|Blacks Harbour]] and [[Grand Manan Island]], as well as Ingalls Head (Grand Manan) and [[White Head Island]].<ref name="CanTransport-1"/> Another ferry route linking Letete and [[Deer Island (New Brunswick)|Deer Island]] operates as a provincial service by the [[New Brunswick Department of Transportation]] and is also operated by Coastal Transport.<ref>{{cite news |title=Passenger ferry Deer Island Princess II made bottom contact near Letete, NB, as a result of safety management deficiencies |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/transportation-safety-board/news/2021/04/passenger-ferry-deer-island-princess-ii-made-bottom-contact-near-letete-nb-as-a-result-of-safety-management-deficiencies.html |access-date=December 13, 2025 |work=[[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] |date=April 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ferries in New Brunswick |url=https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/driving-transportation/bridges-ferries/ferries.html |website=[[Government of New Brunswick]] |access-date=December 13, 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

Additional ferries include:
* [[Campobello Island]], to Deer Island and [[Eastport, Maine]], to Deer Island. Operated by East Coast Ferries Limited.
* [[Brier Island]] to [[Long Island (Nova Scotia)|Long Island]] and Long Island to peninsular Nova Scotia, operated by Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works.

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Nova Scotia|Geography}}
* [[Fundy National Park]], which connects to the [[Fundy Footpath]].
* Military action in the bay: [[Raid on St. John (1775)]], [[Battle off Cape Split]] (1781), [[Raid on Annapolis Royal (1781)]].
* The Rocks Provincial Park, site of the [[Hopewell Rocks]]
* [[Cape Chignecto Provincial Park]]: Nova Scotia's largest provincial park, named for [[Cape Chignecto]], a headland which divides the Bay of Fundy and [[Chignecto Bay]] to the north and the Minas Channel leading to the [[Minas Basin]] to the east.
* [[Blomidon Provincial Park]] and Five Islands Provincial Park, both in Nova Scotia.
* [[Roosevelt Campobello International Park]]: preserves the house and surrounding landscape of the summer retreat of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], on [[Campobello Island]] in New Brunswick.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Campobello Island |url=https://www.visitcampobello.com/ |website=VisitCampobello.com |access-date=21 June 2019 |archive-date=7 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507222315/https://www.visitcampobello.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bay of Fundy}}
{{wikivoyage|Bay of Fundy}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Fundy, Bay of}}
* [http://www.nfb.ca/film/Where_the_Bay_Becomes_the_Sea/ ''Where the Bay Becomes the Sea''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715013256/https://www.nfb.ca/film/where_the_bay_becomes_the_sea/ |date=2014-07-15 }}: a documentary about the Bay of Fundy ecosystem
* [http://www.bofep.org/wpbofep/ Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership]: scientific and popular information about the Bay.

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