Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

Sister Sarah and I checked out Hopewell Rocks this afternoon ... its about a half hour south of Moncton.

The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion in The Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site in New Brunswick. They stand between 40-70 feet tall.

They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton, New Brunswick. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. However, it is possible to view the formations from ground level at low tide.

The formations consist of dark sedimentary conglomerate and sandstone rock. The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

The vast sediment planes in the basin in Fundy support a variety of biological productivity. Various shorebirds are often seen flocking to nest and feed in the area. Visitors are advised to stay for a full tidal cycle to get a full appreciation of the tides and formations. Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 metres (52 ft) giving The Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.

We got there about 3:15pm ... so we were able to watch as it became low tide.

There is a gift shop, small museum and restaurant in this building which is just inside the entrance.

There an observation deck ... this is looking down at the flowerpots.  The tide was going out.  At high tide, the water reaches to where the rocks get thicker towards the top.

There is a staircase that takes to down to the ocean floor.

We spent some time walking around the ocean floor ... yes, the ocean floor!  It was very cool to be there as the tide when out and we were able to walk further!

Sister Sarah

Sister Sarah and I

On the rocks

Low tide

Heading back up ...

Quite a difference from when we first got there!

I checked out the observation that was behind the restaurant.  Looking right you can see sand and looking left you can see the ocean.  At high tide, this would be full with water.

Very cool spot!  You should check it out if you are in the Moncton area.