The Bubbling Tides…

…also known as Glooscap Grandmother’s Cooking Pots along Partridge Island Beach draw crowds every year.

The Fundy Geological Museum conducts tours all summer long and if you are at Partridge Islands two hours before or two hours after high tide you can witness the phenomena yourself.

I am always in search of new information and when I mentioned the Bubbling Tides to a scientist friend before Christmas his interest was immediately piqued. Despite the many years of spending time in Parrsboro he had never witnessed the Cooking Pots himself. My question as to what type of gas might be coming to the surface sparked his interest even more. Doubtful that it was air pushing through basalt layers below the surface he decided to start his own investigation. And I am thrilled he asked me to show him the site today.

Dr. David Piper collected several samples, noted the time and GPS coordinates and marvelled at the bubbles pushing through the pebbles at first. As the tide rolled in the bubbles churned the water reminiscent of a whirlpool.

The marshlands on the other side of the beach toward East Bay also have bubbles appearing with the incoming tide. It took some time this afternoon for these to appear. Just as we were ready to call it a day I spotted two locations on a pond in the distance. We stopped the car to rush across the squishy ground.

I can’t wait to hear about the results. What type of gas did Dr. Piper capture? He promised I would be among the first to find out. Stay tuned and I shall share the findings here.

I can’t imagine a better way to spend a gray Sunday afternoon between rain events. Bay of Fundy beach, bubbles and science theories. Keeping my mind sharp!