Swimming with the tides

Adapting to thrive in the Bay of Fundy

The arctic waters between Canada and Greenland are feeding grounds for most Atlantic salmon in North America. Salmon migrating to these food-rich waters can spend three or more years feeding before returning to their home rivers to spawn.

However, in the Bay of Fundy things are very different.

The inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon have been shaped by the highest tides in the world. Each day, the flow of ocean water in the Bay of Fundy is more than every combined river in the world! This daily change of water brings a wealth of food including small fish and crustaceans, the main food for marine Atlantic salmon.

This large amount of food allows the inner Bay of Fundy salmon to grow to adult size in only one year, while being able to stay close to their home streams.