The Digby Gut is a narrow channel connecting the

Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world. The bay was ...

with the

Annapolis Basin The Annapolis Basin is a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy, located on the bay's southeastern shores, along the northwestern shore of Nova Scotia and at the western end of the Annapolis Valley. The basin takes its name from the Annapolis River, whic ...

. The town of

Digby, Nova Scotia Digby is a Canadian town in southwestern Nova Scotia. It is in the historical Digby County, Nova Scotia, county of Digby and a separate municipality from the Municipality of the District of Digby. The town is situated on the western shore of the ...

is located on the inner portion of the western side of the Gut. The eastern entrance is marked by the Point Prim Lighthouse. Strong tidal currents, numerous rocky ledges, frequent fogs and unpredictable winds make it a dangerous passage requiring a pilot or local knowledge to navigate. Tide flows create 5

knot A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including List of hitch knots, hitches, List of bend knots, bends, List of loop knots, loop knots, ...

tidal currents and create numerous whirlpools and eddies. The gut, technically referred to as a

water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a pract ...

, is about a half nautical mile in width and bordered by high rocky cliffs. It marks a break in the North Mountain ridge along the

Annapolis Valley The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a Trough (geology), trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the B ...

and is the eastern end of

Digby Neck Digby Neck is a Canadian peninsula extending into the Bay of Fundy in Digby County, Nova Scotia. Digby Neck is the western extension of the North Mountain range from the Annapolis Valley and is made of two thick lava flows. It is separated from ...

. Digby Gut had its origins as the northern terminus of the ancient Bear River, part of which is now a

drowned river valley A ria (; , feminine noun derived from ''río'', river) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendritic ...

Digby Gut is overlooked by the Digby Pines Resort and has been used daily for many years by Digby- Saint John ferries such as the SS ''Princess Helene'' and MV ''Princess of Acadia''. The famous poet

Bliss Carman William Bliss Carman (April 15, 1861 – June 8, 1929) was a Canadian poet who lived most of his life in the United States, where he achieved international fame. He was acclaimed as Canada's poet laureate during his later years. In Canada, Car ...

wrote a classic Canadian poem of courage about a fearless twelve-year-old sailor who single-handedly sailed a schooner through Digby Gut during a storm, entitled "Arnold, Master of the Scud".

References

External links

Live web cam of Point Prim, western entrance to Digby Gut
{{coord, 44, 40, 35.5, N, 65, 45, 32, W, display=title, region:CA_type:waterbody_source:GNS-enwiki Bodies of water of Nova Scotia Landforms of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Landforms of Digby County, Nova Scotia Channels of Canada