Bay of Fundy Nature Conservancy of Canada. Some sources believe the name "Fundy" is a corruption of the French word "Fendu", meaning "split", while others believe it comes from the Portuguese "funda", meaning "deep". The bay was also named Baie Française (French Bay) by Samuel de Champlain during a 1604 expedition to St. Croix Island. The Bay of Fundy has a high tidal range. Oceanographers attribute it to tidal resonance resulting from a coincidence of timing: the time it takes a large wave to go from the mouth of the bay to the inner shore and back is practically the same as the
Roebuck Bay tide; spring tides or cyclones may also flood adjoining coastal flats. The tidal system is semi-diurnal with an average amplitude of 5.7 m, varying from 1 m on neap tides to 10.5 m on the highest spring tides. These tidal conditions dominate the intertidal ecology. Roebuck Bay lies in the traditional country of the Jukun and Yawuru Aboriginal peoples. The bay was important for seasonal meetings, exchanging gifts, arranging marriages and settling disputes. Many shellfish middens, marking former camping sites, are visible along the coastal cliffs and dunes. Indigenous people continue to make extensive use of the bay's natural resources