Sometimes, it only forms a single wave, but in others, it’s accompanied by secondary waves called whelps.įrequently, the waves that a tidal bore squeals into existence are a sloppy mess. As the opposing currents meet they form a wave. For onlookers, though, there is still the spectacle of the rush of the incoming tide, which can reach several miles per hour in some places.Īlbert Dock (1) antarctica (1) arctic (1) Arnside (1) Arnside Bore (2) Art (2) aviation (1) BBC Radio Merseyside (1) Bidston (1) birds (1) birdwatching (2) Birkenhead (4) Boaty McBoatface (1) book (1) books (1) Channel 5 (1) Cheshire (5) Chester (1) coast (1) Cumbria (6) Dee Estuary (1) dolphins (1) Edinburgh (1) Ellesmere Port (1) environment (6) equinox (1) filming (1) Flying (1) Frodsham (1) history (6) invasive species (1) Kendal (1) Kent Estuary (1) Lake District (3) Lancashire (1) Lancaster (1) Liverpool (17) London (1) maritime history (1) Mersey Estuary (11) Mersey Ferry (3) Mersey tidal bore (2) Moon (1) Morecambe Bay (2) Navigation (3) New Brighton (1) nonfiction (1) northwest England (1) organise (1) organize (1) photography (2) plant (1) porpoises (1) Port of Liverpool (3) post processing (1) red squirrels (1) research (3) River Mersey (1) rivers trust (1) RRS Sir David Attenborough (1) Runcorn (5) Salmon (1) Scotland (1) Seals (1) seasons (1) Severn Estuary (1) shipbuilding (1) Shorebirds (1) software (1) spring (1) staycation (5) the beatles (1) Then and Now (1) Tidal bore (2) tidal bores (2) tidal prediction (1) tides (1) tourism (5) Travel (5) Trent Aegir (1) Ulverston (1) video (1) Wading birds (1) Warrington (5) Waterbirds (2) waterfront.It’s a phenomenon known as a “tidal bore” that occurs during extreme undular tidal shifts where a fast-moving surge of water travels up-river against the natural current. However, as with many natural phenomena, prediction is not an exact science, so sometimes no wave occurs. The timing also depends on a number of factors, including wind conditions, the river flow, and the distance from the coast.īefore going out, some research is therefore needed, including checking tide times. For others, though, tidal bores occur in most months of the year. In some estuaries, the best time to see tidal bores is on a few days around the highest spring tides, particularly around the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. Both towns are more than 20 miles from the coast. Some can travel a long way inland, such as the Trent Aegir, which reaches Gainsborough, and the Mersey tidal bore, which ends on hitting a weir near the centre of Warrington. On the best days, as the tidal bore passes there is a line of surf and a series of waves may follow, known as whelps. ![]() On calm wind days, there may also be a distant roar of breaking waves and surf. With luck, birdwatchers and photographers may even be able to see spectacular aerial displays known as murmurations, in which birds twist and turn as if fleeing from a predator. Wading birds often give the first sign of a tidal bore’s approach as they leave the sands and mudflats to fly to their high tide roosts. Tidal bores occur when the incoming tide is funnelled into the narrow space of an estuary. However, most others are smaller affairs unsuited to such outdoor pursuits, although still wonderful to see, such as the Arnside Bore and the Mersey Tidal Bore. The largest and most famous is the Severn Bore and in the right conditions attracts large crowds of spectators to watch surfers and canoeists try their luck. Indeed, of the hundred or so worldwide, about twenty are found in the UK’s estuaries, from Somerset to southwest Scotland and from East Anglia to the Humber Estuary. ![]() ![]() Some of the highest tides in the world occur in the UK, leading to the formation of tidal bores: a line of surf or waves travelling upstream against the river flow.
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