People of my age or older (I’m 39) grew up hearing about ‘tidal waves’. This is NOT an accurate name at all. Those giant waves we heard about have nothing to do with the tides. The waves we were taught about are actually tsunamis, which I’ll talk about tomorrow. But there ARE giant waves that can be called tidal waves, although they are more accurately called tidal bores.
A Tidal Bore happens when the tide pushes its way up a river. This might happen every day, such as in the Bay of Fundy, or only a few times a year on certain rivers. The tide comes in so suddenly and so powerfully that it forces its way upstream in one large wave, essentially forcing the river to flow backwards!
In Nova Scotia, Canada in the Bay of Fundy, you can raft on the tidal bore. In other places people have surfed them. But you need to be careful; even if they aren’t tall, these large waves are immensely powerful.
Surfing a tidal bore on the Amazon River
Showing the power of a tidal bore; people get swept downstream
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