View source for Cook Strait

{{short description|Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} 
{{use New Zealand English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Cook Strait
| other_name         = ''Te Moana-o-Raukawa'' ([[Māori language|Māori]])
<!--    Images     -->| image              = File:Earth from Space- Cook Strait, New Zealand ESA24912671.jpg
| alt                = Satellite view of Cook Strait with the North and South Islands visible at either side of the image
| caption            = Satellite image of Cook Strait taken by the [[Sentinel-2]] mission
| image_bathymetry   = 
| alt_bathymetry     = 
| caption_bathymetry = <!--    Stats      -->
| location           = 
| coords             = {{coord|41|13|46|S|174|28|59|E|region:NZ-MBH_type:waterbody_scale:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| type               = 
| inflow             = 
| outflow            = 
| catchment          = 
| basin_countries    = [[New Zealand]]
| length             = 
| width              = 
| min_width          = {{convert|22|km|mi nmi|abbr=on}}
| depth              = {{cvt|128|m}}
| max-depth          = 
| islands            = <!--      Map      -->
| pushpin_map        = New Zealand#Oceania
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt    = Map of New Zealand with mark showing location of Cook Strait
| pushpin_map_caption = Cook Strait separates the [[North Island|North]] and [[South Island|South]] islands of [[New Zealand]].
}}

'''Cook Strait''' ({{langx|mi|Te Moana-o-Raukawa|lit=The Sea of [[Raukaua|Raukawa]]}}) is a [[strait]] that separates the [[North Island|North]] and [[South Island]]s of New Zealand. The strait connects the [[Tasman Sea]] on the northwest with the [[South Pacific Ocean]] on the southeast. It is {{convert|22|km|mi}} wide at its narrowest point,<ref name="McLintock">McLintock, A. H., ed. (1966) [http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/1966/cook-strait ''Cook Strait''] from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, updated 18-Sep-2007. Note: This is the distance between the North Island and [[Arapaoa Island]]; some sources give a slightly larger reading of around {{convert|24.5|km|mi}}, that between the North Island and the South Island.</ref> and has been described as "one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cook Strait |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/keyword/cook-strait |access-date=30 January 2025 |website=New Zealand History}}</ref><ref>McLauchlan, Gordon (ed.) (1987) ''New Zealand encyclopedia'', Bateman, P.&nbsp;121. {{ISBN|978-0-908610-21-1}}.</ref> Regular ferry services run across the strait between [[Picton, New Zealand|Picton]] in the [[Marlborough Sounds]] and [[Wellington]].

The strait is named after [[James Cook]], the first [[Ethnic groups in Europe|European]] commander to sail through it, in 1770.<ref>{{ReedPlacenames2002}}, p. 99.</ref> The waters of Cook Strait are dominated by strong [[tidal flow]]s. The tidal flow through Cook Strait is unusual in that the tidal elevation at the ends of the strait are almost exactly out of phase with one another, so high water on one side meets low water on the other. A number of ships have been wrecked in Cook Strait with significant loss of life, such as the ''Maria'' in 1851,<ref name="66EncycShips">[http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/D/DisastersAndMishapsShipwrecks/en Disasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks], from ''[[An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]]'', edited by [[Alexander Hare McLintock|A. H. McLintock]], originally published in 1966, updated 2007-09-18.</ref> the ''City of Dunedin'' in 1865,<ref>[http://www3.telus.net/public/ckboyd/#The%20Crew%20and%20Passengers Steamer 'City of Dunedin' – Mysterious Sinking] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114223853/http://www3.telus.net/public/ckboyd/#The%20Crew%20and%20Passengers|date=14 November 2012}}.</ref> the ''St Vincent'' in 1869,<ref name="66EncycShips" /> the ''Lastingham'' in 1884,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dive Lastingham Wreck |url=http://www.diveplanet.co.nz/wreck/lastingham/index.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724192234/http://www.diveplanet.co.nz/wreck/lastingham/index.asp |archive-date=2011-07-24 |access-date=2008-10-03}}</ref> {{SS|Penguin}} in 1909<ref name="SSPenguin">[https://nzhistory.govt.nz/ss-penguin-wrecked-in-cook-strait SS Penguin wrecked in Cook Strait – 12 February 1909]. ''[[New Zealand History Online]]'', Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Updated: 6 Oct 2020.</ref> and {{ship|TEV|Wahine}} in 1968.

==History==
{{See also|Te Whanganui-a-Tara#Legend of Whanganui-a-Tara|l1=The legend of Whanganui-a-Tara}}

In [[Māori mythology|Māori legend]], Cook Strait was discovered by [[Kupe]] the navigator. Kupe followed in his canoe a monstrous octopus called [[Te Wheke-a-Muturangi]] across Cook Strait and destroyed it in [[Tory Channel]] or at [[Pātea]].

When Dutch explorer [[Abel Tasman]] first saw New Zealand in 1642, he thought Cook Strait was a [[Bight (geography)|bight]] closed to the east. He named it ''Zeehaen's Bight'', after the ''Zeehaen'', one of the two ships in his expedition. In 1769 James Cook established that it was a [[strait]], which formed a navigable waterway.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Cook Strait attracted European settlers in the early 19th century. Because of its use as a [[whale]] migration route, [[whaler]]s established bases in the [[Marlborough Sounds]], based out of Tory Channel and [[Port Underwood]], and also in the [[Kāpiti Coast|Kāpiti]] area.<ref>McNab, Robert (1913). [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-McNOldW-t1-front-d4.html ''A History of Southern New Zealand from 1830 to 1840'']. [[Whitcombe and Tombs Limited]]. ASIN B000881KT4.</ref><ref>Martin, Stephen (2001). ''The Whales' Journey'': [https://archive.org/details/whalesjourney0000mart/page/100 Chapter 4: The northerly migration]. [[Allen & Unwin]]. {{ISBN|978-1-86508-232-5}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Jock |title=Shore-based whaling |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/whaling/page-2 |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> From the late 1820s until the mid-1960s [[Arapaoa Island]] was a base for whaling in the Sounds. Perano Head on the east coast of the island was the principal whaling station for the area from 1911.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Perano Whaling Station |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/perano-whaling-station |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=nzhistory.govt.nz}}</ref> The houses built by the Perano family are now operated as tourist accommodation.<ref>[http://www.arapawahomestead.co.nz/ Perano Homestead].</ref>

During the 1820s [[Te Rauparaha]] led a Māori migration to, and the conquest and settlement of, the Cook Strait region. In 1822 [[Ngāti Toa]] migrated to Cook Strait region, led by [[Te Rauparaha]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

From 1840 more permanent settlements sprang up, first at Wellington, then at [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]] and at [[Whanganui]] (Petre). At this period the settlers saw Cook Strait in a broader sense than today's ferry-oriented New Zealanders: for them the strait stretched from [[Taranaki]] to [[Cape Campbell]], so these early towns all clustered around "Cook Strait" (or "Cook's Strait", in the pre-Geographic Board usage of the times) as the central feature and central waterway of the new colony.

[[File:Pelorus Jack.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Pelorus Jack]]]]
Between 1888 and 1912 a [[Risso's dolphin]] named [[Pelorus Jack]] became famous for meeting and escorting ships around Cook Strait. Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in Admiralty Bay between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, near [[D'Urville Island, New Zealand|French Pass]], a channel used by ships travelling between [[Wellington]] and Nelson. Pelorus Jack is also remembered after he was the subject of a failed assassination attempt. He was later protected by a 1904 New Zealand law.<ref>{{Cite web |editor-last=A. H. |editor-first=McLintock |title=Pelorus Jack |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/pelorus-jack |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

At times when New Zealand feared invasion, various [[Coastal fortifications of New Zealand|coastal fortifications]] were constructed to defend Cook Strait. During the Second World War, two {{cvt|23|cm}} gun installations were constructed on [[Wrights Hill Fortress|Wrights Hill]] behind Wellington. These guns could range {{convert|28|km}} across Cook Strait. In addition thirteen {{cvt|15|cm|0}} gun installations were constructed around Wellington, along the [[Mākara]] coast, and at entrances to the Marlborough Sounds. The remains of most of these fortifications can still be seen.

The [[Pencarrow Head Lighthouse]] at the entrance from Cook Strait to [[Wellington Harbour]] was the first permanent lighthouse built in New Zealand. Its first keeper, Mary Jane Bennett, was the only female lighthouse keeper in New Zealand's history. The light was decommissioned in 1935 when it was replaced by the [[Baring Head Lighthouse]].

== Geography ==
[[File:BrothersFromKoamaru.JPG|thumb|left|View from Cape Koamaru of the Brothers Islands with Wellington west coast on the horizon]]
Approximately 18,000 years ago during the [[Last Glacial Maximum]] when sea levels were over {{convert|100|m|abbr=off}} lower than present day levels, Cook Strait was a deep harbour of the Pacific Ocean, disconnected from the Tasman Sea by the vast coastal plains which formed at the [[South Taranaki Bight]] which connected the North and South islands. Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating the islands and linking Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea.<ref name="Niwa">{{Cite web |title=Estuary origins |url=https://niwa.co.nz/te-kuwaha/tools-and-resources/ng%C4%81-waihotanga-iho-the-estuary-monitoring-toolkit-for-iwi/estuary-origins |access-date=3 November 2021 |publisher=[[National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research]]}}</ref>

The strait runs in a general NW-SE direction, with the South Island on the west side and North Island on the east. At its narrowest point, {{convert|22|km|mi}} separate [[Cape Terawhiti]] in the North Island from [[Perano Head]] on [[Arapaoa Island]] in the Marlborough Sounds.<ref name="McLintock" /> Perano Head is actually further north than Cape Terawhiti. In good weather one can see clearly across the strait.

The west (South Island) coast runs {{convert|30|km|mi}} along [[Cloudy Bay]] and past the islands and entrances to the Marlborough Sounds. The east (North Island) coast runs {{convert|40|km|mi}} along [[Palliser Bay]], crosses the entrance to [[Wellington harbour|Wellington Harbour]], past some Wellington suburbs and continues another {{convert|15|km|mi}} to [[Mākara Beach]].

[[The Brothers (islands), New Zealand|The Brothers]] is a group of tiny islands in Cook Strait off the east coast of Arapaoa Island. North Brother island in this small chain is a sanctuary for the rare [[Brothers Island tuatara]], while the largest of the islands is the site of the Brothers Island Lighthouse.[[File:Coast of Wellington Region from Cook Strait.jpg|thumb|right|Wellington's coast, seen from Cook Strait]]The shores of Cook Strait on both sides are mostly composed of steep cliffs. The beaches of Cloudy Bay, [[Clifford Bay, New Zealand|Clifford Bay]], and Palliser Bay shoal gently down to {{convert|140|m|ft}}, where there is a more or less extensive submarine plateau. The rest of the bottom topography is complex. To the east is the Cook Strait Canyon with steep walls descending eastwards into the [[bathyal]] depths of the [[Hikurangi Trough]]. To the north-west lies the Narrows Basin, where water is {{convert|300|and|400|m|ft}} deep. Fisherman's Rock in the north end of the Narrows Basin rises to within a few metres of low tide, and is marked by waves breaking in rough weather. A relatively shallow submarine valley lies across the northern end of the Marlborough Sounds. The bottom topography is particularly irregular around the coast of the South Island where the presence of islands, underwater rocks, and the entrances to the sounds, create violent eddies.<ref name="McLintock" /> The strait has an average depth of {{convert|128|m|ft}}.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

In 1855 a [[1855 Wairarapa earthquake|severe earthquake]] occurred on both sides of Cook Strait.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 2013 two large earthquakes measuring [[2013 Seddon earthquake|6.5]] and [[2013 Lake Grassmere earthquake|6.6]] on the Richter Scale struck Cook Strait, causing significant damage in the town of [[Seddon, New Zealand|Seddon]], with minor to moderate damage in Wellington.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==Oceanography==
{{External media
|float=right
|width=320px
|image1=[https://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/coasts/research-projects/all/physical-hazards-affecting-coastal-margins-and-the-continental-shelf/news/cookmov Animation of the tides in Cook Strait] – [[National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research|NIWA]]
|image2=[https://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/coasts/research-projects/all/physical-hazards-affecting-coastal-margins-and-the-continental-shelf/news/m2mov Animation of the lunar (M2) tide component around NZ]
|image3=[http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/engineering-on-the-sea-floor/1/2 Cook Strait currents before and after high tide at Wellington] – [[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]
|image4=[https://natlib.govt.nz/visiting/wellington/unfolding-the-map/coastal-charting Underwater topography of Cook Strait] – [[National Library of New Zealand]]
}}
{{see also|Cook Strait tides}}

The waters of Cook Strait are dominated by strong [[Ocean power in New Zealand#Tidal power|tidal flows]]. The tidal flow through Cook Strait is unusual in that the tidal elevation at the ends of the strait are almost exactly out of phase with one another, so high water on one side meets low water on the other.<ref>[https://niwa.co.nz/our-science/coasts/research-projects/all/physical-hazards-affecting-coastal-margins-and-the-continental-shelf/news/m2mov Lunar Semidiurnal Tide (M2)]. ''NIWA''. Accessed 21 November 2020.</ref> This is because the main [[M2 lunar tide]] component that happens about twice per day (actually 12.42 hours)<ref name=NASA2016 /> circulates anti-clockwise around New Zealand, and is out of phase at each end of the strait (see animation on the right). On the Pacific Ocean side the high tide occurs five hours before it occurs at the Tasman Sea side. On one side is high tide and on the other is low tide. The difference in sea level can drive tidal currents up to 2.5 metres per second (5 knots) across Cook Strait.<ref name="teara tides">Stevens, Craig and Chiswell, Stephen. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/OceanStudyAndConservation/OceanCurrentsAndTides/2/en ''Ocean currents and tides: Tides'']. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21 September 2007.</ref><ref name="benign" />

There are numerous computer models of the tidal flow through Cook Strait. While the tidal components are readily realisable,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gfs.sourceforge.net/examples/examples/tides.html#htoc12 |title=Lunar tides in Cook Strait, New Zealand |access-date=28 February 2009 |archive-date=3 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403214043/http://gfs.sourceforge.net/examples/examples/tides.html#htoc12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the residual flow is more difficult to model.<ref>Bowman, M. J., A. C. Kibblewhite, R. Murtagh, S. M. Chiswell and B. G. Sanderson (1983) Circulation and mixing in greater Cook Strait, New Zealand. Oceanologica Acta 6(4): 383–391.</ref> Probably the most prolific oceanographer to research the strait was [[Ron Heath]] based at the [[N.Z. Oceanographic Institute]].  He produced a number of studies including analysis of tides <ref>Heath, R. A., 1978. Semi‐diurnal tides in Cook Strait. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 12(2), pp.&nbsp;87–97.</ref> which identified the presence of a "virtual amphidrome" in the region. Heath also quantified a best estimate for the time of the "residual current" (i.e. net current after averaging out the tidal influence) in the strait.<ref>Heath, R. A., 1986. In which direction is the mean flow through Cook Strait, New Zealand—evidence of 1 to 4 week variability?. New Zealand journal of marine and freshwater research, 20(1), pp.&nbsp;119–137.</ref> This continues to be a topic of research with computer simulations combining with large datasets to refine the estimate.<ref>Hadfield, M. G. and Stevens, C. L., 2021. A modelling synthesis of the volume flux through Cook Strait. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 55(1), pp.&nbsp;65–93.</ref>

[[File:Cook Sampling.png|thumb|left|Historical ocean sampling locations within Cook Strait]]

[[File:Global surface elevation of M2 ocean tide.webm|thumb|upright=1.8|Global surface elevation of the M2 ocean tide (NASA).<ref name=NASA2016>[https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4541 Ocean Tides and Magnetic Fields], ''NASA Visualization Studio'', 30 December 2016. {{PD-notice}}</ref> This computer animation shows the peaks and troughs of the M2 tides sweeping anticlockwise around New Zealand. When it is high tide on one side of Cook Strait, it is low tide on the other side. For this reason, the strait can experience exceptionally fast tidal flows.]]

{{clear}}

Despite the strong currents, there is almost zero tidal height change in the centre of the strait. Instead of the tidal surge flowing in one direction for six hours and then in the reverse direction for six hours, a particular surge might last eight or ten hours with the reverse surge enfeebled. In especially boisterous weather conditions the reverse surge can be negated, and the flow can remain in the same direction through three surge periods and longer. This is indicated on marine charts for the region.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.linz.govt.nz/hydro/charts/nz202-chart-catalogue/catalogue.aspx?chart=463&page=20 |title=Chart of Cook Strait |access-date=28 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212002918/http://www.linz.govt.nz/hydro/charts/nz202-chart-catalogue/catalogue.aspx?chart=463&page=20 |archive-date=12 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Furthermore, the submarine ridges running off from the coast complicate the ocean flow and turbulence.<ref>Stevens, C. L., M. J. Smith, B. Grant, C. L. Stewart, T. Divett, 2012, Tidal Stream Energy Extraction in a Large Deep Strait: the Karori Rip, Cook Strait, Continental Shelf Research, 33: 100–109. {{doi|10.1016/j.csr.2011.11.012}}.</ref> The substantial levels of turbulence have been compared to that observed in the [[Straits of Gibraltar]] and [[Seymour Narrows]] in [[British Columbia]].<ref>Stevens, C. L., 2018. Turbulent length scales in a fast-flowing, weakly stratified, strait: Cook Strait, New Zealand. Ocean Science, 14(4), pp.&nbsp;801–812. {{doi|10.5194/os-14-801-2018|doi-access=free}}.</ref>

==Marine life==
Cook Strait is an important habitat for many [[cetacean]] species. Several dolphins ([[bottlenose dolphin|bottlenose]], [[common dolphin|common]], [[dusky dolphin|dusky]]) frequent the area along with [[killer whale]]s and the endemic [[Hector's dolphin]]s. [[Long-finned pilot whale]]s often strand en masse at [[Golden Bay / Mohua|Golden Bay]]. The famous [[Pelorus Jack]] was a [[Risso's dolphin]] being observed escorting the ships between 1888 and 1912, though this species is not a common visitor to the New Zealand's waters. Large migratory whales attracted many [[whaler]]s to the area in the winter. Currently, an annual survey of counting [[humpback whale]]s is taken by [[Department of Conservation (New Zealand)|Department of Conservation]] and former whalers help DOC to spot animals by using several vantage points along the strait such as on [[Stephens Island, New Zealand|Stephens Island]]. Other occasional visitors include [[southern right whale]]s, [[blue whale]]s, [[sei whale]]s and [[sperm whale]]s. [[List of giant squid specimens and sightings|Giant squid specimens]] have been washed ashore around Cook Strait or found in the stomachs of sperm whales off [[Kaikōura]].

A colony of male [[Arctocephalus forsteri|fur seal]]s has long been established near [[Pariwhero / Red Rocks]] on the south Wellington coast.<ref>[http://diaspora.gen.nz/~rodgerd/pictures/wellington/2002_06_08/index.html Cook Strait seal colonies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023240/http://diaspora.gen.nz/~rodgerd/pictures/wellington/2002_06_08/index.html |date=4 March 2016 }}.</ref> Cook Strait offers good [[Big-game fishing|game fishing]]. [[Albacore|Albacore tuna]] can be caught from January to May. [[Swordfish|Broadbill swordfish]], [[Hyperoglyphe antarctica|bluenose]], [[Isurus|mako sharks]] and the occasional [[marlin]] and [[white shark]] can also be caught.<ref>[http://www.marlboroughonline.co.nz/index.mvc?ArticleID=43 The Marlborough Sounds]. Marlborough online. Retrieved 3 October 2008.</ref>

==Transport==
{{External media
|float=right
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|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUWascqCBe0&ab_channel=vert999 Ship entering a Cook Strait swell] {{align|right|– ''YouTube''}}
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[[File:Ferries 2016.jpg|thumb|Cook Strait ferries in Wellington Harbour]]

=== Ferry services ===
{{see also|Transport in New Zealand#Ferry services|Marlborough Sounds#Ferries and marine farms}}
Regular [[ferry]] services run between [[Picton, New Zealand|Picton]] in the Marlborough Sounds and [[Wellington]], operated by [[KiwiRail]] (the [[Interislander]]) and [[StraitNZ]] (Bluebridge). Both companies run services multiple times a day. Roughly two thirds of the crossing is in the strait, and the remainder mainly within the Sounds. The journey covers {{convert|93|km|mi}} and takes about three and a half hours. The strait often experiences rough water and heavy swells from strong winds, especially from the south. New Zealand's position directly athwart the [[Roaring Forties|roaring forties]] means that the strait funnels westerly winds and deflects them into northerlies. As a result, ferry sailings are often disrupted and Cook Strait is regarded as one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} In 1962 the first ferry service to allow railway carriages, cars and trucks began with [[GMV Aramoana|GMV ''Aramoana'']].<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 June 2024 |title=A brief timeline of Cook Strait ferries |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/25-06-2024/a-brief-timeline-of-cook-strait-ferries |access-date=28 January 2025 |work=[[The Spinoff]]}}</ref> In 1994 the first fast-ferry service began operation across Cook Strait.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

=== Shipwrecks and major events ===
{{Category see also|Shipwrecks of the Cook Strait}}
In 1851 the barque [[Maria (1836 ship)|''Maria'']] wrecked on rocks at [[Cape Terawhiti]], killing 28 people.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 1865 the paddle steamer [[City of Dunedin (ship)|''City of Dunedin'']] sank, killing 50 to 60 people.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 1869 ''St Vincent'' wrecked in [[Palliser Bay]], killing 20 people.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 1884 ''Lastingham'' was wrecked at [[Cape Jackson, New Zealand|Cape Jackson]], killing 18 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Oliver |date=1 September 2017 |title=Add them to the list: Underwater survey discovers new wrecks in Marlborough Sounds |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/96315270/add-them-to-the-list-underwater-survey-discovers-new-wrecks-in-marlborough-sounds |access-date=30 January 2025 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 1909 {{SS|Penguin}} wrecked in Cook Strait, killing 75 people.<ref name="SSPenguin" /> In 1968, the {{ship|TEV|Wahine}}, a Wellington–[[Lyttelton, New Zealand|Lyttelton]] ferry of the [[Union Company]], foundered at the entrance to [[Wellington Harbour]] and capsized. Of the 610 passengers and 123 crew on board, 53 died.<ref>Initially the official toll was 51, but two names were added 22 and 40 years later respectively. {{cite news |last=Williamson |first=Kerry |date=9 April 2008 |title=Recognition 53rd Wahine victim |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4470696a11.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911172910/http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4470696a11.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 September 2012 |access-date=10 April 2008 |work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]]}}</ref> On 16 February 1986 the cruise ship ''[[MS Mikhail Lermontov|Mikhail Lermontov]]'' struck rocks at Cape Jackson at the northern tip of the Marlborough Sounds and sank in Port Gore, with one person killed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Ruth |date=16 February 2006 |title=Lermontov sinking still lures conspiracy buffs |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/lermontov-sinking-still-lures-conspiracy-buffs/RWL76ZT5ZHC67NDRYEPUBP7UAA/ |access-date=5 July 2024 |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |agency=NZPA}}</ref>

In 2006, {{convert|14|m|adj=on}} waves resulted in the [[Interislander]] ferry [[DEV Aratere]] slewing violently and heeling to 50 degrees, the sailing took 7 hours. Three passengers and a crew member were injured, five rail wagons were toppled and many trucks and cars were heavily damaged. The journey is often regarded as one of the worst trips across the strait. Maritime NZ's expert witness Gordon Wood claimed that if the ferry had capsized most passengers and crew would have been trapped inside and would have had no warning or time to put on lifejackets. <ref>[https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10387818 Cook Strait ferry Aratere 'nearly capsized']. ''NZ Herald'', 22 June 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/14450/New-rules-for-ferries-after-horror-crossing New rules for ferries after horror crossing]. ''Stuff'', 31 January 2009.</ref>

In 1990 Stephen Preest made the first crossing and double crossing by hovercraft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Airflow Hovercraft |url=http://hovercrafts.co.nz/en/airflow-hovercraft |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=AirFlow Hovercraft NZ}}</ref>

In 2005, the retired frigate {{HMNZS|Wellington|F69|6}} was sunk in Cook Strait off the south coast of Wellington as an artificial reef.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 November 2005 |title=Wellington scuttled in Cook Strait |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellington-scuttled-in-cook-strait/THDDCKCH7T3DSOBCB5H2YNYTYA/ |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=[[The NZ Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

=== Air services ===
{{Further information|List of Cook Strait crossings by air}}
The first aeroplane flight across Cook Strait occurred in 1920,<ref>[https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/first-flight-across-cook-strait First flight across Cook Strait 25 August 1920]. ''[[New Zealand History Online]]'', Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Updated: 24 August 2020.</ref> jet aeroplane in 1946,{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} helicopter crossing in 1956,<ref name="Craig Printing Ltd">{{cite book |last1=Waugh |first1=Richard J. |title=Strait Across – The Pioneering Story of Cook Strait Aviation |publisher=Craig Printing Ltd |year=1995 |isbn=0473034271 |location=Invercargill, NZ |page=66 |chapter=Other Cook Strait Firsts}}</ref> glider crossing in 1957,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Craven |first=Wynn |date=October–November 2011 |title=The First Glider Crossing of Cook Strait - An Extraordinary Flight in 1957 |url=https://www.mccawmedia.co.nz/getattachment/e8130e01-01df-49d3-8f51-bcd710fd494f/SoaringNZ-Magazine-Back-Issues-Issue-24.aspx |magazine=SoaringNZ |publisher=McCaw Media Ltd |location=Christchurch, NZ |pages=30–32 |format=PDF |issue=24 |issn=}}</ref> balloon crossing (by Roland Parsons and Rex Brereton) in 1975,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-01-08 |title=Historic strait crossing was balloon enthusiast's last trip |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/features/focus/3215841/Historic-strait-crossing-was-balloon-enthusiasts-last-trip |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> microlight aircraft in 1982,<ref name="Craig Printing Ltd"/> autogyros in 1999,<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 September 1999 |title=Bill Black and Terry Tiffen flying in their gyrocopters |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23216417 |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=National Library |language=en}}</ref> paraglider (by Matt Standford) in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-03 |title=Paraglider first to cross Cook Strait |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/129511/paraglider-first-to-cross-cook-strait |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref> In 2021 the first electric aircraft flight across Cook Strait, from [[Omaka Aerodrome]] to [[Wellington Airport]], by Gary Freedman in a [[Pipistrel Alpha Electro]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Perry |first=Nick |date=1 November 2021 |title=Electric plane crosses NZ's Cook Strait |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7493265/electric-plane-crosses-nzs-cook-strait/ |access-date=3 November 2021 |work=Canberra Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=1 November 2021 |title=Electric powered plane makes history in Cook Strait flight |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/01/electric-powered-plane-makes-history-in-cook-strait-flight/ |access-date=3 November 2021 |work=[[1News]]}}</ref>

Air services began across Cook Strait in 1935.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} Air lines which operate or have operated flights across Cook Strait include [[Air New Zealand]], [[Originair]], [[Straits Air Freight Express]], [[Air2there]], [[CityJet (New Zealand)|CityJet]] and [[Sounds Air]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

=== Proposals for a bridge or tunnel ===
Proposals have been made for a [[bridge]] or [[undersea tunnel|tunnel]] across Cook Strait.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/short-haul-flight-is-environmental-enemy-no-1-is-it-time-to-revisit-the-cook-strait-tunnel/QA25EBZKRJFAPKXCCUGJLQSUWA/|date=2023-01-17|access-date=2025-03-18|title=Short Haul flight is environmental enemy no 1. Is it time to revisit the Cook Strait Tunnel?|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|first=Thomas|last=Bywater}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://infrastructurenews.co.nz/bridge-tunnel-work-across-cook-strait/|website=infrastructurenews.co.nz|date=2024-02-14|access-date=2025-03-18|title=Could a bridge or tunnel work across the Cook Strait?|first=Nicolas|last=Reid}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2024/03/04/should-we-build-a-bridge-or-tunnel-across-cook-strait/|date=2024-03-04|access-date=2025-03-18|title=Should we build a bridge or tunnel across Cook Strait?|publisher=Greater Auckland}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/521054/why-did-a-man-cross-cook-strait-to-ask-for-a-footbridge|publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]]|first=Maia|last=Hart|date=2024-07-02|access-date=2025-03-18|title=Why did a man cross Cook Strait to ask for a footbridge?}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.railfreight.com/infrastructure/2024/07/23/newzealand-rails-across-cook-strait-not-so-straight-forward/|website=RailFreight.com|date=2024-07-23|access-date=2025-03-18|title=New Zealand rails across Cook Strait not so straight forward}}</ref><ref name=tunnel>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/zealand-cook-strait-tunnel-ferries-bridge-d15a1f1d901cb67a4120bb12d9450ccd|publisher=Associated Press|date=2025-01-08|access-date=2025-03-18|title=Wild weather halted ferries between New Zealand's main islands again. Why isn't there a tunnel?|first=Charlotte|last=Graham-McLay}}</ref> {{as of|2025|1}}, a tunnel is estimated to cost {{NZD|50 billion}}, equivalent to 20 years of New Zealand's transport infrastructure development budget. Other obstacles include the large amount of [[seismic activity]] in Cook Strait.<ref name=tunnel/>

== Cables ==
{{see also|HVDC Inter-Island}}
In 1866, the first [[telegraph]] cable was laid in Cook Strait from [[Lyall Bay]] on Wellington’s south coast to Whites Bay, north of [[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]], connecting the South Island telegraph system to Wellington.<ref name="cable">[https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/submarine-telegraph-line-laid-across-cook-strait Telegraph line laid across Cook Strait – 26 August 1866]. ''[[New Zealand History Online]]'', Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Updated: 9 July 2020.</ref><ref name="EvolvingAuckland8.4">{{Cite book |last1=Mander |first1=Neil |title=Evolving Auckland: The City's Engineering Heritage |publisher=Wily Publications |year=2011 |isbn=9781927167038 |editor-last=La Roche |editor-first=John |editor-link=John La Roche |pages=195–202 |chapter=COMPAC Submarine Telephone Cable System}}</ref> In 1879 the vessel ''Kangaroo'' laid a further {{convert|120|nmi|km|adj=mid|-long}} telegraph cable across Cook Strait from [[Whanganui]] to [[Wakapuaka]], near Nelson.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications from the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fiber optic network: 1879/1880 Cook Strait Cable (Wanganui - Wakapuaka, New Zealand) |url=https://atlantic-cable.com/Cables/1879NZ/index.htm |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=atlantic-cable.com}}</ref>

In 1964, three submarine power cables were installed across Cook Strait between Oteranga Bay in the North Island and Fighting Bay in the South Island as part of the [[HVDC Inter-Island]] link, to enable transmission of electricity between [[Benmore Dam|Benmore]] in the South island and [[Haywards]] in the North Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=The original Cook Strait cable is hauled ashore at Ōteranga Bay on Wellington's south-west coast in 1964 |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/energy-supply-and-use/6/2/3 |accessdate=20 September 2011 |publisher=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]}}</ref><ref name="Taylor">{{cite book |author=Taylor, Peter |title=White Diamonds North: 25 Years' Operation of the Cook Strait Cable 1965–1990 |publisher=Transpower |year=1990 |isbn=0-908893-00-0 |location=Wellington |page=47}}</ref><ref>{{cite Q|Q113031154|p=178}}</ref>

In 1991 three new power and two communication cables were laid to replace the original cables. Each of the replacement HVDC power cable operates at 350&nbsp;kV, and can carry up to 500&nbsp;MW, with Pole 2 of the link using one cable and Pole 3 using two cables. The link's total capacity was increased to 1200&nbsp;MW (500&nbsp;MW for Pole 2 and 700&nbsp;MW for Pole 3).  The cables are laid on the seabed within a legally defined zone called the cable protection zone (CPZ). The CPZ is about {{convert|7|km|mi|0}} wide for most of its length, narrowing where it nears the terminals on each shore. Fishing activities and anchoring boats are prohibited within the CPZ.<ref name="Transpower">{{cite web |year=2006 |title=Cook Strait submarine cable protection zone |url=http://www.transpower.co.nz/f1223,149142/149142_cook_strait-2006.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307220129/http://www.transpower.co.nz/f1223,149142/149142_cook_strait-2006.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2012 |access-date=23 September 2008 |publisher=Transpower}}</ref> From 1994, the HVDC link across Cook Strait has been operated by [[Transpower New Zealand Limited|Transpower]].

Fibre optic cables carry telecommunications across Cook Strait, used by New Zealand's main telecommunication companies for domestic and commercial traffic and by Transpower for control of the HVDC link. In 2002 two further communications cables were laid.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In May 2025, Transpower announced that it was planning for replacement of all three existing Cook Strait HVDC cables laid in 1991. The forecast cost of replacement was $NZD 1.4 billion and the project was scheduled for completion by 2031. The replacement plan included adding a fourth cable to increase inter-island transmission capacity and resilience, together with enhancements to the cable terminal stations on either side of Cook Strait.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Franks |first=Raphael |date=7 May 2025 |title=Transpower proposes $1.4 billion replacement for ageing Cook Strait electricity cables linking North, South Islands |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/transpower-proposes-14-billion-replacement-for-ageing-cook-strait-electricity-cables-linking-north-south-islands/JXXXBSJGKVGMPNVOAUI7TALW6I/ |access-date=7 May 2025 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref>

==Tidal power==
{{See also|Ocean power in New Zealand}}

Cook Strait has been identified as a potentially excellent source of tidal energy.<ref>Vennell, R., Major, R., Zyngfogel, R., Beamsley, B., Smeaton, M., Scheel, M. and Unwin, H., 2020. Rapid initial assessment of the number of turbines required for large-scale power generation by tidal currents. Renewable Energy, 162, pp.&nbsp;1890–1905. {{doi|10.1016/j.renene.2020.09.101}}.</ref>

In April 2008, Neptune Power was granted a resource consent to install a $10&nbsp;million experimental underwater [[Tidal stream generator|tidal stream turbine]] capable of producing one megawatt. The turbine was designed in Britain, and was to be built in New Zealand and placed in {{convert|80|m|ft}} of water, {{convert|4.5|km|mi}} due south of Sinclair Head, in waters known as the "Karori rip". The company claimed there is enough tidal movement in Cook Strait to generate 12 GW of power, more than one-and-a-half times New Zealand's current requirements.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10504122">{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10504122 |title=Green light for Cook Strait energy generator trial |author=Doesburg, Anthony |date=15 April 2008 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=26 September 2011}}</ref><ref>Renewable energy development: [http://renewableenergydev.com/red/tidal-energy-cook-strait/ Tidal Energy: Cook Strait] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214122513/http://renewableenergydev.com/red/tidal-energy-cook-strait/ |date=14 February 2009 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.contrafedpublishing.co.nz/Energy+NZ/Harnessing+the+power+of+the+sea.html ''Harnessing the power of the sea'']. Energy NZ, vol.&nbsp;1, no.&nbsp;1, Winter 2007. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014154810/http://www.contrafedpublishing.co.nz/Energy%2BNZ/Harnessing%2Bthe%2Bpower%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bsea.html |date=14 October 2008 }}.</ref><ref name="benign">[http://www.contrafedpublishing.co.nz/Energy+NZ/Benign+tides.html Benign tides]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801055539/http://www.contrafedpublishing.co.nz/Energy+NZ/Benign+tides.html |date=1 August 2010 }}. Energy NZ, no.&nbsp;6, Spring 2008. Contrafed Publishing. Accessed 1 March 2009.</ref> In practice, only some of this energy could be harnessed.<ref>[http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/ngts/2009/02/19/salty_water Radio New Zealand].</ref> As of October 2016, this turbine had not been built and the Neptune Power website is a placeholder with no further announcements.

On the other side of the strait, Energy Pacifica applied for resource consent to install up to 10 marine turbines, each able to produce up to 1.2 MW, near the Cook Strait entrance to [[Tory Channel]]. The company claimed that Tory Channel was an optimal site with a tidal current speed of {{convert|3.6|m/s|ft/s}} and the best combination of [[bathymetry]] and accessibility to the electricity network.<ref name="benign"/> However, despite being validated by computer modelling,<ref>Plew, D. R. and Stevens, C. L., 2013. Numerical modelling of the effect of turbines on currents in a tidal channel–Tory Channel, New Zealand. Renewable Energy, 57, pp.&nbsp;269–282. {{doi|10.1016/j.renene.2013.02.001}}.</ref> no project was forthcoming.

==Swimming==
[[File:Cook Strait Swim Track (1972).jpg|thumb|Track of a swimmer's path crossing Cook Strait in 1972]]

According to [[Māori mythology|oral tradition]], the first woman to swim Cook Strait was Hine Poupou. She swam from [[Kapiti Island]] to [[D'Urville Island (New Zealand)|d'Urville Island]] with the help of a dolphin.<ref>[http://www.batcompany.co.nz/history.html Polynesian History]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014021235/http://batcompany.co.nz/history.html |date=14 October 2008 }}.</ref> Other Māori accounts tell of at least one swimmer who crossed the strait in 1831. In modern times, the strait was swum by [[Barrie Devenport]] in 1962. [[Lynne Cox]] was the first woman to swim it, in 1975.<ref name=LynneCox>[https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/first-woman-swim-cook-strait First woman swims Cook Strait – 4 February 1975], ''[[New Zealand History Online]]'', Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Updated: 25 March 2021.</ref> The most prolific swimmer of the strait is [[Philip Rush]], who has crossed eight times, including two double crossings. Aditya Raut was the youngest swimmer at 11 years. Caitlin O'Reilly was the youngest female swimmer and youngest New Zealander at 12 years. Pam Dickson was the oldest swimmer at 55 years.<ref name=swim /> [[John Coutts (swimmer)|John Coutts]] was the first person to swim the strait in both directions.<ref name="HBT 2012">{{cite news |title=Swimming: Coutts thrived outside comfort zone |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11059997 |access-date=12 December 2015 |work=[[Hawke's Bay Today]] |date=13 April 2012}}</ref> By 2010, 74 single crossings had been made by 65 individuals, and three double crossings had been made by two individuals (Philip Rush and [[Meda McKenzie]]). In March 2016, Marilyn Korzekwa became the first Canadian and oldest woman, at 58 years old, to swim the strait.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/78060797/canadian-psychiatrist-becomes-oldest-female-swimmer-to-cross-cook-strait |title= Canadian psychiatrist becomes oldest female swimmer to cross Cook Strait |author= Joel Maxwell |date= 19 March 2016 |work= The Dominion Post}}</ref>

Crossing times by swimmers are largely determined by the strong and sometimes unpredictable currents that operate in the strait.<ref name="swim">{{cite web |url=http://www.cookstraitswim.org.nz/history-and-facts.php |title=Cook Strait Swim |access-date=31 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125301/http://www.cookstraitswim.org.nz/history-and-facts.php |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1980 the [[oceanographer]] [[Ron Heath]] published an analysis of currents in Cook Strait using the tracks of swimmers. This was from a time when detailed measurement of ocean currents was technologically difficult.<ref>Heath, R. A., 1980. Current measurements derived from trajectories of Cook Strait swimmers. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 14(2), pp.&nbsp;183–188.</ref>

In 1984 [[Philip Rush]] swam the strait both ways.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMurran |first=Alistair |date=2012-01-09 |title=Swimming: Dominant ocean swimmer for a decade |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/other-sport/swimming-dominant-ocean-swimmer-decade |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=Otago Daily Times Online News |language=en}}</ref> In 1984 [[Meda McKenzie]] became the first woman to swim the strait both ways.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scratched |date=2021-02-09 |title=Scratched: Meda McKenzie versus the Cook Strait |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/09-02-2021/scratched-meda-mckenzie-versus-the-cook-strait |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association]]
* [[List of Cook Strait crossings by air]]
* [[List of Cook Strait crossings by sea]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources cited==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
|last=Grady
|first=Don
|date=September 1982
|title=Perano Whalers of Cook Strait, 1911–1964
|publisher=Intl Specialized Book Service
|pages=238
|isbn=978-0-589-01392-9}}
* {{cite book
|last=Harris
|first=Thomas Frank Wyndham
|year=1990
|title=Greater Cook Strait
|publisher=DSIR Marine and Freshwater
|pages=212
|isbn=0-477-02580-3}}
* {{cite book
|last1=Young
|first1=Victor
|title=Strait Crossing: The ferries of Cook Strait through time
|date=2009
|publisher=Transpress NZ
|location=Wellington, NZ
|isbn=9781877418112}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cook Strait}}
* [http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php?alias=cook-strait-shipwrecks192952 Cook Strait: Ship Wrecks, Swells and Gales]
* [http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/railferries.htm New Zealand's Cook Strait Rail Ferries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727192412/http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/railferries.htm |date=27 July 2009 }} – NZ National Maritime Museum
* [https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/cook-strait-rail-ferries Cook Strait rail ferries] – New Zealand History, by Ministry for Culture and Heritage
* [http://www.cookstraitswim.org.nz/ Cook Strait Swim]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050522083514/http://www.energybulletin.net/6046.html NZ: Chance to turn the tide of power supply] EnergyBulletin.net
* Lewis, Keith [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/OceanStudyAndConservation/EngineeringOnTheSeaFloor/2/en ''Submarine cables'']. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21-Sep-2007.
* [http://www.cablebayfarm.co.nz/history2.html History of Cable Bay Station]
* [http://www.techhistory.co.nz/Electricity/Cookstcable.htm A Powerful link: The Cook Strait Cable]
* NZ Documentary Film (2007) [https://archive.today/20080906132005/http://www.docnz.org.nz/2007/wgtn/film/fish-ships ''Fish & Ships'']. The Island Bay fishing fleet.

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[[Category:Cook Strait| ]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Landforms of the Marlborough District]]
[[Category:Landforms of the Wellington Region]]
[[Category:Straits of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Whaling stations in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Oceans Seven swims]]