Editing Cook Strait (section)

{{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> In [[Māori language|Māori]] it is named ''Te Moana-o-Raukawa'', which means ''The Sea of Raukawa''. 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.