For boaties, making the decision about whether to enter or exit the Whakatāne Harbour just got easier.  

Coastguard Whakatāne has installed two new live-feed cameras with funding support from Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

The cameras provide better visibility and coverage of crucial areas around the Whakatāne Harbour bar. One camera replaces the existing 10-year-old bar camera to deliver higher quality images.

The second camera pans across the navigational area - The Narrows - at the mouth of the Whakatāne River, to highlight potentially hazardous conditions (such as turbulence and standing waves).

Coastguard Whakatāne president Jim Williamson highlights the value of these new tools.

"These cameras provide really useful information to our boating community, especially when it comes to helping them make well-informed decisions about navigating the Whakatāne Harbour bar and The Narrows leading up to it."

Bay of Plenty Harbourmaster Jon Jon Peters says they're delighted to support the Whakatāne Coastguard in making these cameras a reality.

"These cameras, combined with up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, tide information, and wave buoy data, give skippers a comprehensive toolkit to evaluate sea conditions before choosing to head out or not."

The live feed from the cameras is mobile-friendly and can be accessed free of charge on the Coastguard Whakatāne website. 
Harbour cam
Multi-view cam 

Further details on how to cross a bar safely can be found on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council website and Coastguard Whakatāne regularly offers seminars in crossing the Whakatāne bar. 

The decision to cross the bar should always be treated with the upmost of caution and ultimately it is the skipper’s responsibility to understand the conditions at the time they intend to cross. If in doubt, don’t go out. 

Whakatāne Harbour Navigational area covered by two new live-feed cameras.

Key points

• Two new high-tech, live-feed cameras have been installed by Coastguard Whakatāne with funding support from Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
• One camera provides coverage of the Whakatāne Harbour bar, while the other pans across The Narrows area at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. 
• The cameras are another tool in the toolbox, along with up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, tide information and wave buoy data, to evaluate sea conditions before heading out.