In Saint John, the rapids change direction with the tide

Returning to observe the same rapids a few hours later can be a surprise: the water no longer goes in the same direction. In Saint John, the Bay of Fundy meets the St. John River, also called Wolastoq. The rising tide can impose its movement on the flow near this encounter.

When the sea level becomes high enough, the water is pushed upstream. At another phase of the cycle, the river resumes its flow towards the bay. Between the two, a period of spreading offers a very different face from the rapids and whirlwinds. The phenomenon depends on the difference in level, not an engine hidden in the bed.

The English name Reversing Falls can make you imagine a waterfall going up an entire mountain. It refers here to a local phenomenon at the mouth. To understand this spectacle, a still image is not enough: you have to let the tide move the conditions and look at the landscape at several moments.