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Weird Tide Phenomenon- Spring and Neap REVERSED??

Our take

The recent tide charts for Panama reveal an intriguing anomaly in Bocas del Toro, where neap tides unexpectedly produce the month's highest highs and lowest lows. Typically, during spring tides coinciding with full or new moons, we observe elevated high tides and diminished low tides, while neap tides yield the opposite. This unusual behavior raises questions about the geographical factors influencing tidal patterns in this region.

I'm looking at tide charts for the country of Panama. We know that during full/new moons we have spring tides and expect higher high tides and lower low tides. And we know that during the half moon, we have neap tides and expect lower high tides and higher low tides. Tides 101. :)

Look at the half moon (quarter moon) for April 23 in Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side of Panama. Those are the highest highs and lowest lows of the month! It's what we would expect during a spring tide, but we're in a neap tide.

Now look at Puerto Armuelles. It is almost a straight line on the other side of Panama from Bocas, but on the Pacific side. The tides are behaving as proper spring and neap tides should. :)

What would cause the anomoly in Bocas del Toro? It must be geography, but what about the geography would literally reverse the tidal patterns we would normally expect?

submitted by /u/Clean_Following5895
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