Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, is an ephemeral coastal "lake" on the Canterbury Plains. Any natural opening to the sea is barred by Kaitorete Spit
A waituna is a freshwater coastal lagoon on a mixed sand and gravel (MSG) beach, formed where a braided river meets a coastline affected by longshore drift.[1][2] This type of waterbody is neither a true lake, lagoon nor estuary.[2]
This classification differentiates it from hapua, a type of river mouth lagoon. Both waituna and hapua are rare globally but common in New Zealand, where they are considered ecologically significant as sites of traditional Māori food-gathering as well as for their diversity of fish and bird species.[3]
Waituna form an interlinked chain of habitats which run the length of the east coast of the South Island: from Wairua Lagoon and Lake Grassmere / Kapara Te Hau in Marlborough, through Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and Coopers Lagoon / Muriwai in central Canterbury, and Washdyke Lagoon and Wainono Lagoon in South Canterbury, to Waituna Lagoon in Southland.[1] Waituna Lagoon is one of the finest examples.[4][5]
The name translates as “water of eels”.
^ abKirk, R.M; Lauder, G.A (2000). "Significant coastal lagoon systems in the South Island, New Zealand" (PDF). Science for Conservation. Department of Conservation. Retrieved 20 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abSingle, M.B. and Hemmingson, M.A. (2001). "Mixed sand and gravel barrier beaches of South Canterbury, New Zealand". Ecology and Geomorphology of Coastal Shinge: 261–276.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Hart, Deirdre (2008). "Chapter 20 Canterbury Coastal Systems". In Winterbourne, Michael (ed.). The natural history of Canterbury (3rd ed.). Christchurch, NZ: Canterbury University Press. ISBN 9781877257575.
^Environment Southland (2022). "Waituna Lagoon". Whakamana te Waituna. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
^Department of Conservation. "Awarua-Waituna Wetlands". Retrieved 19 July 2022.
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