Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour is a 22 km long and an average of 2.3 km wide, sheltered bay in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand with access to the Pacific Ocean.
History
Originated by the two lava beds of a centered between Port Chalmers and Portobello volcano, the bay is today, nestled between the hills of the Otago Peninsula and the hills around Mount Cargill around, a popular destination and tourist attraction. Sailing, windsurfing, fishing and collecting shells provide opportunities for activities. The two embankments on both sides of the bay (from Dunedin towards coast) be many different insights into this fascinating landscape.
The origin found this landscape in the three major eruptive phases of working in the 11-13 million years volcano with 200 cores. As a shield volcano formed which very fluid lava flowed mainly into the two directions, which today form the bed of the Otago Harbour. The volcano reached to its peak a height of about 1,000 meters and was formed after his collapse on the erosion of millions of years to today's lovely landscape. The edges of the volcano are still to be found in the existence of the Otago Peninsula and Mount Cargill, who is with its 680 meters the highest elevation of the landscape. Interesting rock formations in the area can be a walk over the hills seem interesting not only for geologists.
Description
The Otago Harbour is home to two port facilities ( Dunedin and Port Chalmers ), making it the second largest port in the South Island of New Zealand. As originally shallow water area where about 30 % of the water surface "dry falls " at low tide, mid-19th century was dredged a shipping channel from which coast via Port Chalmers to Dunedin in the flow domain. In the so-called "Lower Harbor " (from the Quarantine and Goat Islands - Height Port Chalmers - from) the water is always completely replaced when a tidal cycle, which on the one hand leads to significant currents at the harbor entrance, but on the other hand, the harbor basin with considerable amounts of fresh water supplied. The diversity of species on the seabed appears considerable, as a documentation of the Victoria University of Wellington shows.
The University of Otago operates the same reason, the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre, a research station, which is 1 km away from Portobello on a small peninsula projecting into the bay. Here, in addition to research at the same time an exhibition with an attached aquarium marine ecology made public.
What is the Salmon Fishing in Otago Harbour for the angler who is for a small industry of New Zealand mussel Pipi ( Paphies australis ), a small to medium-sized mussel ( 16-75 pieces per kg) who like to bury themselves in shallow nutrient-rich waters in the sand and feels comfortable, especially in the Otago Harbour Bay. There it is harvested throughout the year and has become as a delicacy to a small export of the region.