No immediate plans to test whether Tasiujaq, Que., has higher tides than the Bay of Fundy

Recent satellite images suggest Tasiujaq, Que., could have higher tides than the Bay of Fundy, but Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says it has no immediate plans to make a true comparison between the two sites.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) released satellite images showing the contrast between high and low tides at Leaf Basin near the Nunavik village of Tasiujaq. Images captured between August 2022 to August 2023 suggested a tidal range of 16.35 metres.

That’s potentially half a metre higher than the 15.85 metres recorded at the Bay of Fundy’s Burntcoat Head, a figure outlined in Makivvik’s study earlier this year. The organization representing Inuit in Nunavik said its findings prove Leaf Basin has the highest tidal range in the world.

Dirk Werle, a senior Earth observation expert at CSA, explains that both sites have coastlines configured in a way that naturally amplifies tidal waters entering the bay.

“The Bay of Fundy is a large funnel shape, in the same way as Ungava Bay is sort of a U-shaped basin, where at the bottom of the ‘U’, the tides sort of really build up very high,” he said.

However, the geology of the seafloor is different. Werle explains that the amount of ice between the two locations differ, and ice flows can alter the shape of the coastline.

Beyond curiosity, Werle believes these satellite images, available publicly online, can have a practical application. For example, hunters can see the variation of the conditions along the basin to determine where safe passages lie. He references the Siku app, which also draws information from satellite images.

No immediate plans to compare results 

In a statement to CBC News, Michael Niziol, a spokesperson for DFO, said the satellite images can be used for comparison with the information it has within its Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) division.

As well, Niziol said CHS plans to review Makivvik’s findings in spring 2026. However, he said CHS still needs to measure water levels at both locations over the same timeframe to make a true comparison between the two locations, because tidal extremes vary with long-term astronomical factors. However, he said there are no immediate plans to get those tidal measurements in the Bay of Fundy.

The most recent data it is using from Burntcoat Head is from 1998, and to do a year-long study now "would be a significant undertaking given the nature of the mobile bottom and the very wide drying areas.”

“At present, CHS is prioritizing data collection in locations where tidal information is most critical to safe navigation and operational needs,” Niziol said, adding areas of the Bay of Fundy with the largest tides have limited navigational relevance.

Adamie Delisle Alaku, the executive vice president of Makivvik's department of environment, wildlife and research, said he's frustrated at a lack of communication from CHS.

“They have not acknowledged any of our data or reviewed our data ... I guess they're very busy, but we have had no correspondence or information from them since we submitted it,” he said.

Not a rivalry

For Delisle Alaku, this isn’t about a rivalry with the Bay of Fundy — it’s about a recognition of facts and traditional Inuit knowledge.

He said tidal ranges at Leaf Basin have been measured several times since 1953, when it was recognized as having the single highest tide ever recorded by the Guinness World Records.

But those studies were dismissed for a variety of reasons, he said, including the fact the tides weren’t measured over an entire year.

“We are stating that we have the world's highest tide, but it is still not well accepted by the people. [This study] will put the official recognition to bed,” Delisle Alaku said.

Niziol said CHS determines tidal range using a particular process. That includes gathering at least 10 months of data and filtering out any weather-related anomalies.

Delisle Alaku acknowledges that, and says Makivvik still has measuring instruments in the water and plans to continue monitoring.

“We're going to collaborate with the Canadian Hydrographic Services and ensure that our data is accurate, our instruments are well-calibrated, and that we're using sophisticated instruments that will be recognized by them to prove that our data is true,” he said.