competition with the ocean; The mystery of islands that only appear with the tides

Siddiqa’s note for Ehsan: The first photo seems to be a copy, but because it is blurry and not very clear, I did not change it

In Canada‘s Bay of Fundy, the ocean recedes twice a day to make way for islands, legendary cliffs and 300-million-year-old fossils.

An adventurer’s journey to this natural wonder often begins before dawn, racing against time and tide. To get to Ministers Island in New Brunswick, Canada, you have to cross a strait from the ocean floor; A path that only appears for a few hours a day, when the water level is at its lowest. When the North Atlantic returns to its previous surface, this track disappears under 6 meters of cold water. (BBC)

Photographer: Jen Rose Smith / www.bbc.com

Here, life flows on the edge of one of North America‘s natural wonders. With the highest tidal range in the world, the Bay of Fundy is a scene that repeats itself twice every day. About 160 billion tons of water – more volume than the total water of all freshwater rivers in the world – flows into this bay and raises the water level up to 12 meters. This stunning phenomenon sets the rhythm of life for local people, wildlife and adventurers who travel to it.

Photographer: Jen Rose Smith / www.bbc.com

Ministers Island was once the summer resort of Canadian railway magnate Sir William Van Horne. He was the one who helped promote the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885.

Island Tour Director Susan Goertzen says:

When the tide was high, it became complete privacy. We still live with the tides in this area.

Returning to the beach and following the tidal path along the bay, travelers head towards Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. Here, 20 giant rocks rise from the sea floor, which turn into small islands during high tide and you can walk on them during low tide.

Photographer: Jen Rose Smith / www.bbc.com

In the stories of the natives, these rocks are the people who were turned into stone by angry whales. According to another legend, when a demigod named “Glooscap” won over his evil twin brother, he spared his life; But he imprisoned him in the heart of the stone.

Photographer: Jen Rose Smith / www.bbc.com

But the tide doesn’t just reveal legends, it opens a window into a much deeper history. The final destination of many tourists is the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is called the “Coal Age Galápagos”. These rocks are a treasure of plant and animal fossils from more than 300 million years ago; A time before dinosaurs and even flowering plants.

Brian Hebert, a tour guide and amateur paleontologist, explains that without the relentless force of the Bay of Fundy’s tides, the treasure would have been buried forever. The sea cracks the rocks and reveals the ancient secrets of the earth.

Hebert tells how a gentle rain began to fall by the rocks and a part of the rock collapsed, leaving a fresh and exposed surface of the rock full of fossils that no man had ever seen before. This phenomenon is a show of rocks that see the afternoon light again after 300 million years of darkness.

Photographer: Jen Rose Smith / www.bbc.com

Which of these natural wonders would you like to see up close? Share your comments with us and other audiences.

Cover photo source: www.bbc.com Photographer: Unknown