There is more water flowing in and out of the Minas Basin on the Bay of Fundy at mid-tide than flows from all the rivers and streams in the world according to Dr. Roy Bishop in Wolfville, an expert on the Bay of Fundy. He also says that Nova Scotia bends when the tide comes in as 14 billion tonnes of sea water flow into Minis basin twice daily. In other words, Nova Scotia actually tilts slightly under the immense load. The movement of the huge tides can cause great currents or rip tides, particularly as they move around peninsulas such as Cape Split near the entrance to the Minas Basin. The water moving past this point each day reaches a speed of eight knots.
Observers can hear the roar of the rip tide from the cliffs above.
The tides massive erosive action uncovers fossils which are discovered nearly every day. Fossil finds near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia include the fossilized footprints of some of the earliest dinosaurs known to man, and at Hortons Bluff evidence has been found of 350 million year old amphibians. Clearly rockhounds have a field day here. When the tide retreats, it leaves hundreds of thousands of acres of ocean bottom exposed. This inter-tidal zone is teaming with life and is an essential feeding ground for many birds including migrating shorebirds on their way from the Arctic to southern climes.