This is an important feeding area for whales and shorebirds.
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The bay is 240 km (150 miles) deep and 80 km (50 miles) wide.
Fundy experiences the most extreme tides in the world, sometimes
exceeding 16m (53 ft). The water and the mud flats of the area take
on a red colour due to eroded sediment from the
red sandstone cliffssurrounding the bay.
This is an important feeding area for whales and shorebirds. |
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The surface water stays relatively cold due to the constant exchange of water with the Atlantic Ocean. Roughly 100 million cubic metres (3.5 billion cubic feet) of water come in and out of the bay. It varies between 2°C (36 °F) and 10°.C (50°.F). The water here is less salty than sea water further south due to the colder temperature and freshwater runoff from rivers.
They are drawn by the extensive mudflats at low tide which are rich in worms & mud shrimps(Corophium volutator). They spend roughly two weeks here, doubling their body weight. Then, they fly 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) non-stop to their wintering grounds in northern South America. Click here to view the Shorebird Migration Image Map at the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN).
"Shepody" is a corrupted form of the French "Chapeau de Dieu" (God's hat).
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