| Big Lagoon | |
|---|---|
  Big Lagoon | |
| Location | Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 41°32′42″S174°06′04″E / 41.545°S 174.101°E |
| Type | Lagoon |
| Primary outflows | Pacific Ocean |
| Surface area | 800 hectares (8.0 km2) |
Big Lagoon, sometimes known as Te Whanganui (both unofficial) is a lagoon beside Cloudy Bay in Marlborough, New Zealand. It outflows into the Pacific Ocean. [1] It is approximately 800 hectares and is part of the Wairau Lagoon, which is connected to Upper Lagoon and Chandlers Lagoon. [2] Several islands are within the lagoon or the connected waterways, the biggest of which is Budges Island to the northwest.
There used to be a canal known as Ōrua or previously Morgan Creek which went from Ōpawa River to Big Lagoon. [3] Big Lagoon was previously a wildlife refuge, but this has been lifted and people are now permitted to hunt over the lagoon. [4]
Big Lagoon has beds of Ruppia , Chara and Nitella . [2]
Big Lagoon is in the plate boundary between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. This means that Big Lagoon occasionally experiences strong earthquakes, which may cause liquefaction. [5]