Strong tidal flows dominate these waters. This is Cook Strait. It separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Cook Strait connects the Tasman Sea and the South Pacific Ocean.
The strait got its name from Captain James Cook. He was the first European to sail through it in 1770. In Māori, it is Te Moana-o-Raukawa. That means “The Sea of Raukawa”.
Imagine the scene long ago. Kupe the navigator discovered Cook Strait. Māori legend says he chased a monstrous octopus across it. He destroyed the octopus in Tory Channel.
Dutch explorer Abel Tasman saw New Zealand in 1642. He thought Cook Strait was a closed bight. He named it Zeehaen’s Bight. Cook proved it was a strait in 1769. It was a waterway.
Early European settlers came to Cook Strait in the 19th century. Whalers set up bases. They hunted whales migrating through the Marlborough Sounds. They also settled in the Kāpiti area.
From the late 1820s, Arapaoa Island was a whaling base. The Perano family’s houses are now tourist spots.
Te Rauparaha led a Māori migration in the 1820s. They conquered and settled the Cook Strait area. Permanent settlements began in 1840. Wellington, Nelson and Whanganui grew. Settlers saw Cook Strait as stretching from Taranaki to Cape Campbell.
Between 1888 and 1912, Pelorus Jack became famous. This Risso’s dolphin met ships. He escorted them around Cook Strait. People usually spotted him in Admiralty Bay. Someone tried to assassinate Pelorus Jack. A New Zealand law protected him in 1904.
Coastal fortifications defended Cook Strait when invasion threatened. During World War II, guns were installed on Wrights Hill in Wellington. They could shoot across Cook Strait.
Pencarrow Head Lighthouse guided ships into Wellington Harbour. Mary Jane Bennett was its first keeper. She was New Zealand’s only female lighthouse keeper. The Baring Head Lighthouse replaced it in 1935.
Around 18,000 years ago, Cook Strait was a deep harbor. Sea levels were much lower then. Rising sea levels eventually separated the islands. Cook Strait connected to the Tasman Sea.
The strait is narrow. At its smallest point, it is only 22 kilometers wide. Cape Terawhiti in the North Island faces Perano Head on Arapaoa Island. You can see clearly across the strait in good weather.
The west coast runs along Cloudy Bay. It passes islands and the Marlborough Sounds entrances. The east coast runs along Palliser Bay. It crosses Wellington Harbour’s entrance. It continues to Mākara Beach.
The Brothers are tiny islands in Cook Strait. North Brother Island is a sanctuary. It protects the rare Brothers Island tuatara. The Brothers Island Lighthouse sits on the largest island.
Steep cliffs mostly make up the shores of Cook Strait. Cloudy Bay, Clifford Bay and Palliser Bay have gently sloping beaches. The bottom topography is complex. The Cook Strait Canyon descends to the Hikurangi Trough. Fisherman’s Rock rises near the Narrows Basin. Underwater rocks create violent eddies. The strait averages 128 meters deep.
An earthquake shook both sides of Cook Strait in 1855. Two large earthquakes struck in 2013. They caused damage in Seddon and Wellington.
The tidal flow through Cook Strait is unusual. High water on one side meets low water on the other. This happens because the tide circulates around New Zealand. The sea level difference drives strong currents.
Despite the currents, there is almost no tidal height change in the strait’s center. The flow can last longer in one direction during boisterous weather. Submarine ridges complicate the ocean flow. The turbulence is similar to the Straits of Gibraltar.
Cook Strait is home to many cetacean species. Dolphins and killer whales frequent the area. Pelorus Jack, the Risso’s dolphin, escorted ships. Large migratory whales attracted whalers. Humpback whales are counted yearly.
Male fur seals live near Pariwhero / Red Rocks. Cook Strait is good for game fishing. Albacore tuna can be caught.
Ferries run between Picton and Wellington. The journey takes about three hours. Cook Strait often has rough water. Strong winds cause heavy swells. It is one of the most dangerous waters in the world.
Many shipwrecks have occurred in Cook Strait. The TEV Wahine capsized in 1968. Fifty-three people died. In 2006, the ferry Aratere nearly capsized.
The retired frigate HMNZS Wellington was sunk in Cook Strait. It became an artificial reef.
The first aeroplane flight across Cook Strait happened in 1920. Electric power and communication cables link the North and South Islands. Tidal energy could be a future power source here.
Hine Poupou was said to be the first woman to swim Cook Strait. Lynne Cox swam it in 1975. Philip Rush has crossed it eight times.
Remember Cook Strait. It is a place of strong currents, history and adventure.