The Tide is High Trivia Quiz

Canada's Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. Tides can reach up to 52 feet or 16 meters, which about 16 times higher than average. There are several reasons for this. One is the funnel shape of the bay which allows water to flow in and out easily. Another is because the rivers that flow into the Bay of Fundy also have very high tides.

King Sound and the town of Derby are home to Australia's highest tides, which can reach up to 39 feet high. It is located in Western Australia and is home to some of Australia's most active tidal energy plants because the hydropower potential in the region.

Bristol Channel is located in Southwest England. Tides here can reach up to 43 feet. The tides in Bristol Channel were responsible for the 1607 flood that killed thousands of people when the water rose dramatically and suddenly. Homes, buildings and even entire villages were swept into the sea.

The Rio Gallegos is a river in southern Argentina. Tides can reach up to 29 feet in the Rio Gallegos. Unlike the nearby Strait of Magellan, Rio Gallegos only has one end open to a larger body of water. That increases the tides within the river whereas in the Strait of Magellan, the tides simply flows out the other end without the chance to increase in height.

Australia's Gold Coast in Queensland has tides that vary wildly in size. Most famous are the so-called King Tides that occur roughly around Christmas time. Unlike most other places in this quiz, Gold Coast's tides reach their height for reasons outside of geography, mainly the effect the moon has on Earth at any given time of year.

The King Tides have a negative effect on the Gold Coast's beaches as they cause erosion of the sand.

Ungava Bay in Quebec is home to Canada's second highest tides, which reach up to 32 feet on average and as high as 56 feet. Ungava Bay is a particularly volatile place in Canada. It is very remote and has a harsh landscape which makes harnessing the tidal energy nearly impossible.

Mont-Saint-Michel is a famous landmark in France. It rests on a tidal island which means the land only becomes an island at high tide. At other times, it is possible to walk across the silted land. In 2015, a bridge was built to access the island at all times via foot traffic.

The small island of Jersey has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world. It varies so much that the island doubles in size during low tides. The tides greatly contribute to the local tourism industry as rare sea creatures can be seen during low tides and water sports are popular in high tides.

In Jersey, there is a popular fried snack called Jersey wonders or mervelles. According to legend, mervelles should be fried during receding tides only.

Alaska's Cook Inlet is home to tides that reach, on average, thirty feet high. The shape of the inlet is prime for high, rough tides as the funneling effect occurs much easier. Cook Inlet is one of only a few places worldwide where tidal bores can occur.

A tidal bore is a tide so strong, it can temporarily reverse the flow of a river. This occurs in the Turnagain Arm at the northern part of Cook Inlet.

While the other entries are known for their high tides, the Mediterranean Sea is actually known for its very low tides, some of the lowest in the world. It is commonly believed that the Mediterranean does not experience tides. This is incorrect, however. Because the Mediterranean is almost landlocked, tides from the Atlantic Ocean don't penetrate into the Mediterranean. Most waves in the Mediterranean are caused by wind and human activity.