The correct answer is A) The vertical distance from the tidal datum to the level of the water at any time. This is the correct definition of height of tide because it accurately describes the vertical distance between a fixed reference point (the tidal datum) and the ever-changing water level at a given time. The tidal datum is a standard elevation used as a reference for measuring water levels, and the height of tide fluctuates as the tide rises and falls. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not properly define the height of tide. Option B refers to the range between low and high water, option C describes the depth of the water, and option D is about the difference between a datum and the ocean bottom, which is not the same as the height of the tide.