Detailed temperature and current observations show rapid variations in vertical overturning and stratification above Great Meteor Seamount. Classically, steady downwelling interior flow generates a large homogeneous turbulent bottom boundary layer (bbl) and upwelling interior flow generates a small bbl above a sloping bottom. In contrast, the present observations show the dominance of bores and waves in bbl variations above a slope that is non-critical for internal tidal waves. During the upslope tidal phase a small bbl is preceded by a breaking bore extending up to 50 m. The bore shows many small stratified layers. These small layers organize in two large, strongly stratified layers, one at <10 m, the other at ~40 m. During the downslope phase only the lower remains. Above it a thick ~homogeneous layer is observed, which however does not reach the bottom and thus cannot qualify as a bbl having no influence on sediment resuspension.