| Bay of Plenty | |
|---|---|
| Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi (Māori) | |
 The Bay of Plenty seen from Whakatāne. The Whakatāne River (foreground) is one of eight major rivers that empty into the bay. | |
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| Coordinates | 37°40′S 177°00′E / 37.667°S 177.000°E |
| Etymology | Named by James Cook for an abundance of resources; Māori name in honour of Toi-te-huatahi |
| River sources | Raukokore River, Kereu River, Haparapara River, Motu River, Hawai River, Waioeka River, Waiotahe River, Whakatane River, Rangitaiki River, Tarawera River, Kaituna River, Wairoa River, Wainui River, Aongatete River, Otahu River, Wentworth River, Wharekawa River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Islands | Mayor Island / Tūhua, Mōtītī Island, Motunau / Plate Island, Moutohora Island, Te Paepae o Aotea, Whakaari / White Island |
| Sections/sub-basins | Whangamatā Harbour, Tauranga Harbour, Ōhiwa Harbour |
| Settlements | Whangamatā, Waihi Beach, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki |
The Bay of Plenty (Māori: Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi) is a large bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi (the Ocean of Toitehuatahi) in the Māori language after Toi-te-huatahi, an early ancestor, the name 'Bay of Plenty' was bestowed by James Cook in 1769 when he noticed the abundant food supplies at several Māori villages there, in stark contrast to observations he had made earlier in Poverty Bay.