| Great Egg Harbor Bay | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Great Egg Harbor Bay facing west, with the Great Egg Harbor Bridge, Beesley's Point Generating Station, New Jersey Route 52, and the Rainbow Islands in background | |
  Great Egg Harbor Bay | |
| Location | Counties of Atlantic and Cape May in New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 39°18′15″N 74°38′59″W / 39.30417°N 74.64972°W |
| River sources | Great Egg Harbor River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Atlantic Ocean |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 5.0 mi (8 km) |
| Max. width | 2.8 mi (4.5 km) |
| Surface area | 8.5 sq mi (22 km2) |
| Islands | Cowpens Island, Rainbow Islands |
| Settlements | Ocean City, Somers Point, Upper Township, Seaview Harbor, Longport |
Great Egg Harbor Bay (or Great Egg Harbor) is a bay between Atlantic and Cape May counties along the southern New Jersey coast. The name derives from Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen May's description of the plentiful birds laying eggs, naming the waters Eyren Haven, which translates to Egg Harbor in English. The bay has a total area of 8.5 sq mi (22 km2). Its depth ranges from shallow waters in the southern extension, called Peck Bay, to a 33 ft (10 m) deep channel.
The Great Egg Harbor River and its 17 tributaries empty into the bay. During the Sangamonian interglacial period, the Great Egg Harbor River existed as a delta that covered much of southern Cape May County. Over time, the waterway shifted its course, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Great Egg Harbor Inlet between Ocean City and Longport. In the eastern periphery, the bay measures 5.0 mi (8 km) along the coast, bordered by Ocean City on the east.