Hawke Bay

{{Short description|Bay on the coast of New Zealand}}

{{about|the body of water|the surrounding region|Hawke's Bay}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2022}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Hawke Bay

| native_name = {{native name|mi|Te Matau-a-Māui}}

| other_name =

| image = Hawke bay landsat.jpg

| alt = Satellite image of Hawke Bay

| caption = NASA satellite photo of Hawke Bay

| image_bathymetry =

| alt_bathymetry =

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| location = Hawke's Bay

| group =

| coordinates = {{Coord|39|20|S|177|30|E|region:NZ_type:waterbody_scale:1000000|display=inline, title}}

| type = Bight

| etymology = Named after Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke

| part_of = South Pacific Ocean

| inflow = Nūhaka River, Wairoa River, Mohaka River, Esk River, Tutaekuri River, Ngaruroro River, Clive River, Tukituki River

| oceans = South Pacific Ocean

| catchment =

| basin_countries = {{flag|New Zealand}}

| length =

| width = {{convert|91|km}}

| area =

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| salinity =

| shore = {{convert|166|km}}

| elevation =

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| islands =

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| benches =

| cities = Napier, Hastings, Wairoa

| pushpin_map = New Zealand

| pushpin_label_position = bottom

| pushpin_map_alt = yes

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}}

Hawke Bay ({{langx|mi|Te Matau-a-Māui}}), formerly named Hawke's Bay,{{LINZ|id=1921|name=Hawke Bay|date=6 June 2022}} is a large bay on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand,{{cite book |chapter=New Zealand |page= [https://archive.org/details/adirectoryforna03findgoog/page/n120 732] |url= https://archive.org/details/adirectoryforna03findgoog |quote=hawke bay water sir edward hawke. |title=A Directory for the Navigation of the Pacific Ocean |via=Internet Archive |year=1851 |author=Findlay, Alexander G.|authorlink=Alexander George Findlay|publisher=R.H. Laurie}} surrounded by the Hawke's Bay region. It stretches from Māhia Peninsula in the northeast to Cape Kidnappers / Te Kauwae-a-Māui in the southwest, a distance of some {{Convert|90|km|mi|abbr=out}}.

Captain James Cook, sailing in HMS Endeavour, entered the bay on 12 October 1769. After exploring it, he named it for Sir Edward Hawke, First Lord of the Admiralty, on 15 October 1769, describing it as some 13 leagues (about {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=out}}) across. Hawke had decisively defeated the French at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.

File:Clouds over Hawke Bay.jpg

This part of the New Zealand coast is subject to tectonic uplift, with the land being raised out of the sea. For this reason, the coastal land in this area has significant marine deposits, with both marine and land dinosaur fossils having been found inland. The Napier earthquake of 3 February 1931 resulted in several parts of the seabed close to the city of Napier being raised above sea level.{{cite journal |last1=Hull |first1=Alan G. |title=Tectonics of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake |journal=New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics |date=April 1990 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=309–320 |doi=10.1080/00288306.1990.10425689 |doi-access=free |bibcode=1990NZJGG..33..309H }} Because the central mountain ranges come close to the coast at the north end of the bay, much of the bay's northerly coastline has deeply eroded tablelands that end in steep seaside cliffs which descend to narrow beaches.

Despite the bay being renamed Hawke Bay, without an apostrophe, the region surrounding it continues to bear the former name of Hawke's Bay. Several medium-sized towns are located in the immediate surrounds of the bay, including Wairoa at the mouth of the Wairoa River and its flood plain in the north, the so-called 'twin cities' of Napier and Hastings in the south, and the town of Havelock North slightly further inland.{{cite web |title=Cities and towns: Napier-Hastings {{!}} NauMai NZ |url=https://naumainz.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/city-town/napier-hastings// |website= naumainz.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz |access-date=6 June 2022 |language=en}} Napier Port serves as the main export port for the region, and is the second largest in the North Island by tonnage.{{cite news |title=Port a place to harbour dreams |first=Colin |last=Taylor |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=11344622 |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=18 October 2014 |accessdate=18 October 2014}}