Spring tides in Jersey go below predictions
Eel grass on the big low tide near karame beacon
Jersey has some of the highest tides in the world. This 2 minute video shows how fast the tide can rise during the third hour of the rising tide.
Filmed at Seymour Tower 10 March 2012. Low water was just 0.2m above chart datum ( the zero calculation).
This was about 30cm lower than predicted due to high pressure (1036mb instead of the average of 1014mb) over Jersey. The high tide was 11.66m.
This makes a range of 11.46m which is a lot of water to move in around just 5 hours 36 minutes. The Proudman tide measurements for the 10th and 11th of March show just how far below the predicted low tide sea actually reached.
We were staying overnight in Seymour Tower so there was no worry about being cut off and stranded by the tide.
Low water goes below predictions as a result of high pressure
However, I was running late and arrived at Seymour slip at 1705. By the time I reached the tower at 1735 the inshore gullies behind me had filled. It was like watching doors closing behind you.
I was therefore quite surprised to see a few people wandering back for the tower at 1715 just a couple minutes before the gullies started filling with water.
This is a good reason why you should respect the tides around Jersey and be very careful once the tide starts to rise. Or, go on our guided “Moonwalks” in Jersey.
No time lapse involved.
Huge tides at Seymour tower Jersey from Jersey Walk Adventures on Vimeo.