Twenty curious things about Fundy.

Tides measured in metres, not centimetres.

The Bay of Fundy is famous for having the world's highest tidal range, with extreme tides measured at up to 16.3 metres at Burntcoat Head.

A staggering amount of water.

About 160 billion tonnes of seawater flow into and out of the Bay of Fundy each tide cycle — more than the combined flow of all the world's freshwater rivers over the same roughly six-hour interval.

The Earth itself moves.

The enormous redistribution of water caused by the tides produces tiny, measurable changes in the Earth's crust around the Bay of Fundy.

A bay the length of a road trip.

The Bay of Fundy stretches roughly 270 kilometres from its mouth to its head — about the same straight-line distance as Toronto to Kingston.

Deep water beneath the tides.

The bay reaches depths of more than 200 metres, with its deepest areas lying around the Grand Manan region.

More than whales.

Up to 12 species of whales visit the Bay of Fundy in summer. The wider cetacean community also includes dolphins and harbour porpoises.

Sometimes the river flows backwards.

In some Fundy rivers, the incoming tide pushes against the river's normal downstream flow, creating a tidal bore — a wave or surge that travels upriver.

A forest from 300 million years ago.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs preserve the world's most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life from the Pennsylvanian Coal Age, including some of the earliest known reptiles and vast fossil forests.

Even the name has a mystery.

The origin of the name Fundy is debated. One theory traces it to the Portuguese funda, meaning "deep"; another connects it to the French fendu, meaning "split."

Fundy nearly became a natural wonder.

The Bay of Fundy was one of 28 finalists in the 2011 New7Wonders of Nature campaign. It did not make the final seven.

Some Fundy shores really are red.

Iron-rich rocks and sediments give parts of the Fundy coastline striking rust-red and reddish-brown colours.

Ancient animals left their footprints behind.

At Joggins, fossil footprints and trackways preserve traces of animals that walked through the Coal Age forests and wetlands — including ancient amphibians and reptiles.

Walk the seafloor. Then kayak it.

At places such as Hopewell Rocks and Burntcoat Head, the enormous tidal range can expose the ocean floor at low tide and cover it again several hours later. Visitors can walk among the formations at low tide and return by kayak around high tide.

A wave that runs upriver.

The Petitcodiac River produces a tidal bore twice a day as the incoming Fundy tide travels upstream. The bore can reach roughly 75 centimetres, depending on conditions.

A bird migration measured in millions.

The upper Bay of Fundy can host around 75% of the world's semipalmated sandpiper population during migration — more than a million birds passing through the region.

The tide can move faster than you can imagine.

Peak tidal currents in parts of the Bay of Fundy can exceed 10 knots — more than 18 km/h.

A 460-kilometre coastal road trip.

The Fundy Coastal Drive stretches about 460 kilometres along New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy coast.

The cliffs are being taken apart by the tide.

Cape Chignecto's dramatic sea stacks and cliffs have been shaped by long-term erosion, weathering, and the powerful Fundy tides.

A whirlpool with a name like a cartoon character.

The Old Sow, between Deer Island, New Brunswick, and Maine's Eastport area, is the largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.

A UNESCO region built around Fundy's landscape.

The Fundy Biosphere Region was recognized by UNESCO in 2007. It encompasses coastal areas, watersheds, forests, wetlands, and communities around the upper Bay of Fundy.