This week we were graced with some of the lowest tides of the year, fortunately for us, this coincided with some perfect weather and the team at Ocean Rafting were able to optimise some otherwise unreachable spots.
Introducing French Shoal! This natural phenomenon is only exposed on the very lowest tide of the year. Hidden just a few hundred meters from Whitehaven Beach this epic location is usually hiding beneath the surface. This silica sand sand bar spends most of the year underwater but we were lucky enough to showcase this magical spot to our guests this week.
Low tides are primarily caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon on Earth’s oceans. As the Moon’s gravity attracts water toward it, a bulge forms on the side of Earth closest to the Moon, creating a high tide. On the opposite side of the Earth, a second bulge forms due to centrifugal force from Earth’s rotation, while the areas between these bulges experience a drop in water level, resulting in low tides. The Sun also plays a role, though less influential, by enhancing or diminishing these tidal effects depending on its alignment with the Moon. Local geographical features and atmospheric conditions further modulate the exact timing and magnitude of low tides.
Want to check out French shoal for yourself? Well, it really requires a bit of luck for all these forces of nature to line up! But rest assured whenever you join Ocean Rafting, our experienced crew will take you to all the best spots depending on the conditions of the day!
