Whakakī lagoon is a small coastal lagoon found on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island and is a part of the Hawke's Bay region. The shoreline and sediment bed are mainly composed of sapric soil[1] from nearby farming runoff and lithic sand from the sand bank of the neighboring Whakakī beach.[2]
| Whakakī lagoon | |
| Pushpin Map: | North Island |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Whakaki Lagoon |
| Location: | Wairoa district, Hawkes Bay region, North Island |
| Coords: | -39.0428°N 177.5519°W |
| Type: | Coastal lagoon |
| Area: | ~40.1ha |
| Etymology: | From Te Reo Maori, verb: "fill", "filling" |
Whakaki Lagoon is the largest and easternmost of a string of lagoons which run close to the northern cost of Hawke Bay. Other lagoons in the chain (from west to east) include Ngamotu Lagoon, Ohuia Lagoon, Wairau Lagoon, and Te Paeroa Lagoon.
Whakaki Lagoon is located between state highway 2 and Whakaki Beach. Because of this both Whakaki lagoon and Whakaki beach are known fishing areas. Whakaki has no or very small outlet to the ocean during high rainfalls the lagoon needs to be manually let out.
Local folklore says that seven mountains in the nearby area (Hikunui, Iwitea, Korito, Takitaki, Onepoto, Tahutoria, and Tuhara) were a group of seven whales which were turned to stone when they failed to return home.