Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere), Canterbury New Zealand
A nationally significant wetland and a culturally important lake for Maori, Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) is a large, shallow brackish lake behind a large shingle spit on the border of the sea. It is a nationally significant wildlife (especially birdlife) refuge. Intensive farming on its borders has contributed to nutrient enrichment which in the past rendered the lake almost dead with intense algae blooms and the lake becoming almost anerobic. However this is being addressed and the lake is slowly healing. Its vast shallow waters and semi-tidal flats are a haven for waders, especially migrant waders which visit New Zealand from the northern hemisphere.
Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere), Canterbury New Zealand
A nationally significant wetland and a culturally important lake for Maori, Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) is a large, shallow brackish lake behind a large shingle spit on the border of the sea. It is a nationally significant wildlife (especially birdlife) refuge. Intensive farming on its borders has contributed to nutrient enrichment which in the past rendered the lake almost dead with intense algae blooms and the lake becoming almost anerobic. However this is being addressed and the lake is slowly healing. Its vast shallow waters and semi-tidal flats are a haven for waders, especially migrant waders which visit New Zealand from the northern hemisphere.